Debt As A Sign That College Is Not For Everyone

“Carnevale says that for almost all majors, the best school for your major isn’t going to be a good investment.”(3). College can be very pricey and not the right choice for everyone. You have the choice to do as one pleases, but most jobs, in the United States, requires a college diploma. Obviously, if one wants to be a doctor they need a college degree, but if one wants to work construction they may only need a high school diploma. College is worth the investment if we improve school, make a degree be easier to obtain, and for it to not be expensive.

Most schools have the same learning content, but not all schools teach the same. All high schools have an agenda of teaching the kids general knowledge, not knowing if the students are going on to further education. If a teen decide to go to a trade school, than the preparation for that is much different than one will need for a university(Perry 1). The kids that go to trade schools are smart enough for anything they want, some chose to go because that’s what they want to do and some go because it’s easy. No matter what, we will need these people to work in these fields so that for example, people can be able to fix the things that have been broken. If one decides that’s what he/she wants then they should follow their passion.

Although a trade school is fine, we still need to have every opportunity for students to be able to strive for more an not have them feel like they're better than others or make others put them down for wanting to achieve more. Courtney Connley emphasizes research has found that STEM-related majors have a high employment rate, also these majors are the top 10 highest-salary fields ( 2). Expecting more out of oneself is nothing to be ashamed about, but for no means do it for the money. The amount of money one spends in college, or any form of higher education, will impact the pay scale. In further research, they found that “students in career pathways outperformed their peers on the number of credits they earned in STEM and AP classes while also earning higher GPAs in their CTE classes”(Perry 1). Classes should be taught at a higher level so that it doesn't hurt your chances of going to college and succeeding (Perry 1). Being a teenager, most don’t know what they are going to chose as their career. If schools teach at higher levels than it will do no harm to the students it will only make them better prepared for life.

If knowledge is power then power is knowledge. To have power we need to be knowledgeable, for this one must study and learn everything there is to know about their specific topic. College essentially teaches you on what you have chosen to do, it also teaches you complex topics, to think in a way you might not have before, and to be able to communicate in an adequate way (Vista College 1). But the downfall to college is that they expect students to be ready, but high school education doesn't prepare us students to the college level. High school needs to alter people from not ready to ready (Perry 1).

Individuals can be too knowledgeable or experienced for a job. “‘It’s very hard to get jobs outside of law when you put that J.D. on your resume,’ said 29-year-old, she tried for an executive assistant position and was informed that she was too experienced(Connley 1). Who would think they would be too experienced? If a degree can make people “too experienced” then why go to college? On the other hand Vista College states that today, the United States are mainly knowledge-based instead of manufacturing-based, having that college degree will today be even greater than before with greater career options and opportunities(1). Jobs should want the knowledge that an individual has, it could improve the business and inforce other strategies.

Having a degree in the twenty-first century isn't mandatory, in fact half of people don’t have a degree. Seventy-two percent of blacks, seventy-seven percent of Native Americans and eighty percent of latinos don't have an associates degree, while only fifty-six percent of Caucasians and forty-one percent of Asians don't have a degree(Perry 1). With so many citizens not having a degree, it offers less job opportunities for those still in high school. This being said, adults can make six figures or more with no high school diploma and leave the children out of a job.

What's the motivation for a degree if individuals can make good money out of high school? Motivation for everyone is different, therefore some have no motivation. A dream job motivates people and some people get caught up and have to take a turn in life, changing your motivation to do specific things is just fine. Once in everybody's life, one should be motivated to succeed and teachers or influencers should be motivated to act as if we are all going further in school(Perry 1). College prepares most people for the world, professionally, personally, and overall skills one may need.

Money is a huge factor in today's society and is what makes everyone wanting more. Having a steady and stable income ensures a stable family. Will a college or high school diploma ensure this? If you have a bachelor’s degree you are supposed to make 84% more in a lifetime than someone with a diploma from high school(Connley 2). Depending on the occupation and where the people are located it then changes the outcome of the statistics. Mainly, if one researches and has a conversation with an employee in a chosen career it should make an individual more knowledgeable on it.

Debt is a huge choice students make, it takes up to a lifetime to pay off student loan debt. Today, around only 59.9% of people landed a job within their field out of college, student debt is between $150,000 to $200,000 (for law school), while the standard graduate salary starts at $63,000(Connley 1). Education costs tons of money and an average salary doesnt make enough to pay it off in a decade. All citizens have tons of bills whether its mortgage, insurance, phone bills, and then add on student loans. This is also for law school students, going into the average debt would be around $35,000. Young adults see how much they owe and are then more applicable to apply for jobs under their educational level (Connley 2).