The Benefits Of College Education For Americans

People in life have two choices after high school. Choice number one go to college and get a higher education. Choice number two is the one that mostly no one talks about – look for other choices suitable for each individual questioning whether college is the right decision for them. Many people don’t think that school is for them or that people waste money, time, and resources. The truth is that for most people it’s worth it in the long run. College is worth the investment because young adults get a higher education even though they invest a lot in money and personal time as a student.

Like anything in life, money plays a big part in how people want to live their life or how they are currently living and certainly in student’s education. College is now a business that makes students go in debt while profiting from students. Money can not only be something spare in someone’s life – but when someone has a higher education it is worth spending it. Everyone need money to buy stuff, to go to class, to buy necessary items such as food and housing if the student lives on campus. A lot more people might have a college bachelor degree – now a days it might not be as valued: “Although holding a degree isn’t as it was in previous decades, stats still show that those who earn a bachelor’s degrees are likely to earn twice as much as those who don’t.” (Jennie Le) Having a degree can ensure a better pay when the student gets to work and can also ensure college for their children in the future. Giving them the tools they need to go to college and be able to be successful and independent as they grow up to follow their dreams.

Having a bachelor degree gives individuals a better view of life. Going through college teaches them a lot of skills and exposes people to different ways of life. A new skill college can teach young adults is how to work with others in order to reach one common goal. It exposes them to different ways of living by socializing with people with different backgrounds. It help students have a better view point on real life situations or topics. They get to learn about new cultures, new traditions, new people that in the long run you might work with them. Being knowledgeable about the world makes people be more comprehensible and capable to work with others that come from different culture backgrounds.

People may ask themselves how come for some students money is a big issue with their education? The answer will be income loss. The income plays a big role for some young adults who are full time students since they dedicate their entire time to studying instead of dividing their time with college and a job. Which is not a wrong decision for people to make, but it’s not for everyone. In my case, I am 18 and I can work – but the minute I told my parents about working, they refuted the idea immediately. Their answer was that I was going to get distracted with the money and not want to study as hard anymore, they didn’t want their sacrifices and my goals to go to waste. At times students struggle with money, since they have to buy their everyday essentials with their own pocket money or their parent’s money if they are able to help out. Leonhardt stated, “Americans with the four year degree makes 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree.” The struggle might be in the beginning of the career and during the college years but after students put their degree into real life work, it will pay off in the future with the earnings. At first, people need to gain experience in their field to be taken as a serious worker, and earn what they work hard for four years.

People make personal sacrifices in order to provide for oneself and their loved ones sacrificing their personal time. Some of those sacrifices go unnoticed, such as parent’s sacrificing their time at multiple jobs for their own children, to provide a better education for them. For example, Jennie Le stated, “For me, this degree symbolizes my family being able to make and take the opportunities that we’ve been given in America, despite growing up with gang members down the street and a drug dealer across from my house.” Sometimes having a degree might not mean a lot for some people but it can be the biggest difference in life for other people. I am a first-generation student, my siblings went to college - but my parents only got some high school education.

For some students having this degree is not just a higher degree but it also means that their family will have better opportunities in life. It will mean that not only that individual made it here in America. It will mean that many immigrant families will have made the American Dream, like in my case. There might not be a lot of time to spend with family while in college since students will be studying or in class. In return, they get the connections they make during their college life that can get them far in any career they chose too. Students get to meet and have connections with staff members that can also help them get to graduate school, or they can help with little things such as writing a paper. Connections are valuable, so students need to take advantage of that.

Sacrificing personal time can bring student to feel mentally unstable in college since it’s a very different environment than normal – it’s college life. Taking care of your health it’s important including mental, emotional, and physical health in order to do good in school. People don’t necessarily know what students feel or what they think, if they haven’t gone through what they have gone through or to be in similar situations. A lot of people go through break downs, depression, or low self-esteem in school, because they get overwhelmed. Le stated, “In essence, my life will be – or at least feel – completely different.” Without knowing young adults get use to their college routines that when they stop doing it, they feel like something is defiantly missing.

College can be hard a hard environment. Even though at some points students might not be able to handle it, years later they won’t even have to worry about going to class or having good grades. They will be worried about receiving work done, not being the one doing the work. Because they will have their degree, they will be using their connections and most importantly they will be living their successful life in their dream job. Taking the risk of going to college is a risk that can not only bring some fear but bring SUCCESS with it. College is worth it financially and personally even though at the beginning students will have major changes in their life in general and sacrifices being done. Connections is an critical role they need to have, in order to put all that time and work from college to work after they get their diploma. College is worth it because a “common” degree can open doors for young adults that they wouldn’t even imagine.