College And A Stable Life
At this moment, there are thousands of high school seniors contemplating their college decisions. Some of them are applying for ivy league colleges or other preferred colleges. Others are left deciding whether they will be able to or want to attend college at all. In the end, some of them will attend a university while others will not. The reality is that college is expensive, and the prices continue to rise as the years progress. “Tuition at a private university is now roughly three times as expensive as it was in 1974, costing an average of $31,000 a year; public tuition, at $9,000, has risen by nearly four times. This is a painful bill for all but the very richest. For the average American household that doesn’t receive a lot of financial aid, higher education is simply out of reach. ” (Davidson 2). Not every parent is able to send their child off to college because of this fact. Many children grow up with the idea of going to college because society makes it seem necessary. You rarely hear someone say, “College is not necessary”. However, is college really the only route we can take to live a stable life? I have met many people with college degrees who were able to work their way up and earn a stable pay. Also, many successful business owners have become successful without a degree in their profession. College is not the only way to get a good job and have a happy life.
One of the main questions that are asked during job interviews is what college the participant attended or what degree they held. This leads many people to believe they need a college degree to obtain a stable job. However, this is not the case. Many people can obtain stable jobs without the need for a college degree. They might not get the best job at first, but they can work their way up. I knew a person who at first only worked as a cashier but eventually proved themselves to be capable of much more. They ended becoming a manager of one of the stores under the company. This is the case for many other people. Yes, they won’t obtain that large pay in the beginning but if they work hard, it won’t take long to get there. Currently, there are companies who are transitioning from hiring based on college degrees to hiring based on skill set. Courtney Connley, a careers reporter at CNBC, discovered a list provided by the job search website Glassdoor that listed some of the companies that were no longer searching for degrees. The list of companies included Google, Apple, and IBM. Many of the positions included product marketing manager, software engineer and engineering product manager. (Connley 3) In this article, a representative from the company IBM stated that the company is currently searching for workers who have “hands-on experience via a coding boot camp or an industry-related vocational class” (Connley 3). Considering this, college education is not necessarily needed to be able to perform the tasks needed for certain jobs. People can obtain experiences from training programs offered in jobs or find other methods of gaining that experience. Even if the job you obtain is not what you believe is enough, you can take the opportunity to earn new skills and impress your superiors. You can obtain more experience as you work there.
Many people also start their own businesses from the knowledge they obtained from past jobs or from past skills they obtained. People who often start businesses do it based on a certain interest or subject they are skilled in or have experience in. Many of them did not gain their knowledge from a college education but rather from observing others or from teaching themselves. An article on Harvard Business Review told a story about a once truck driver, Mark, who became a CEO of a company worth $50 million. While working as a truck driver, he was able to impress his superiors and help their company expand. From there he was able to work his way up. (Powell, Botelho, Tetali 10) Many business owners also started from working in a company for a couple of years and obtaining information from what they were doing. From the information they gained and learned, they were able to safely start their own business with that knowledge. People who start baking business or clothing business often are inspired by the things they love. They may not know all the marketing or accounting aspects, but they are able to learn or have someone help them or teach them. According to a survey taken by CNBC, “Independent business owners without a four-year degree now outnumber those with a bachelor's degree or higher” and “A solid quarter of independent business owners had up to a high school diploma. ” (Juang 3) It’s all about hard work and being motivated. Entrepreneurship is about taking risks and perusing your goals. Patrick Hall, an entrepreneur who contributes to Forbes, talked about how there are many myths when it comes to becoming an entrepreneur which include the idea of needing a degree. He states, “It’s also important to understand what having an advanced degree doesn’t give you: it doesn’t give you any guarantee that your business will be successful. ” And “After you’ve gained an understanding of that industry, I believe that it boils down to three things: an innovative idea, a thorough business plan and good amount of self-awareness. ” (Hall 6)
Another road a person can take is being a part of an apprenticeship program. Employers often look for people who majored in the are they need. However, just because they majored in that area and obtained the degree for it does not necessarily mean they are completely experienced in that field. Apprenticeship programs would involve people working under the company and obtaining the information and skills they need to complete the tasks their supervisors ask for. The people would not have to worry about paying off college debt. Not only that but they would also be earning money while working. Lolade Fadulu, an assistant editor at The Atlantic, stated that apprenticeship programs could minimize failed hires and expand jobs across the country. People who are apart of these programs would already have experience with the company, unlike fresh college graduates. They can obtain the less or even more skill sets than them. “In other words, employers use college degrees as a proxy for a range of skills that can, in fact, be attained without a college degree. ” (Fadulu 7) Companies would not need to worry about false hires and employees who are not capable of the job. People under apprenticeships often find a job right after and would not have to worry about finding a stable job as much as college students. In the end, it would be convenient for the student and for the company that hires them.
Many people say that college does not just offer college education but help people find their “soul”. However, they don’t need to be in college for them to find themselves. Many people who are not in college, still have found themselves in their own environment. At one point, they also must become independent and discover who they truly are. Working a full-time job helps build character as well. It’s true that college helps you form communication skills but its not the only place you can form these skills. In workplaces, you often must build communication skills. Even if it's a temporary part-time job, you must learn how to interact with people. It's true that college has organizations that could help you with your career. However, there are also thousands of other organizations to be a part of without having to be a college student. Many towns offer volunteer work or have programs that people can participate in. One of the people in my town did not have the opportunity to go to college, but they actively participate in events that occur in the town. Also, they do not have to worry about all the stress factors from college such as student debt. Erika Andersen, a contributor at Forbes, stated that one day her son decided that college was a waste of money of time because he felt that it was not his fit. “He left school, kept working in the restaurant business, and now he’s about to open his own place with two partners. He learned on the job; by creating relationships with a wide variety of people with the experience and skills he wanted; by reading; through conversation and observation. ”(Andersen 8) It’s true that it will be tough for them to find a stable job in the beginning, but once they establish their rhythm and get a grasp of life, they will be able to get to their goal.
Not everyone has the luxury of obtaining a college education. However, this does not mean that they will not be successful and unable to obtain a steady profession. People who are unable to go to college have other options that they are often unaware of. People who do not go to college are often seen as less skilled and not as smart as a college student. However, they have as much potential as a college student has. They are also capable of obtaining stable jobs and earning a stable pay. They will obtain their knowledge in the form of experience, observing or learning themselves. People who do not attend college should not be said to be unsuccessful. People can carve their own road into a stable life without the need of a college education.
