I am not entirely opposed to higher education, but anyone considering it needs to weigh a number of options before spending money or incurring debt. I hope the following thoughts help anyone who is considering a trade school, community college, or large university.
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Can you afford it?
If you don't have private wealth, scholarships, or "free" government-funded education, can you truly afford the ongoing expense of paying off a loan? Even if the education is "free," you are still spending your irretrievable time. Can you afford that cost, too?
Is there a career ahead?
Does your intended degree have a direct application to a job you want, and a market need to pay you for doing that job? It can be difficult to forecast economic conditions four or more years ahead, so investigate the history of the profession you intend to enter.
Does it interest you?
Are you considering a degree simply because you feel an obligation to have one, because it seems likely to result in a good career, or because it is your passion?
What opportunities can you gain?
Does college include networking and career placement opportunities unavailable by other means? Certain degrees from certain schools do have considerable clout due to the quality of the faculty and academic tradition. This is worth considering in many cases.
What alternatives are available?
Apprenticeships, online courses, internships, or even free podcasts and library resources can often cover what you want to learn. As technology growth continues, showing you can learn on your own also signals an ability to continue learning as work conditions change, whether you have a degree or not.
Is college a good environment for you?
Are you really ready to dive into a long-term rigorous academic environment? Even for academically gifted students, burnout is a real thing. If you are a new high school graduate, consider taking a year off. If you are considering a career, look for an internship or entry-level job in your intended field. Take it for a test drive before you buy it, so to speak. Earning some extra money can be a helpful bonus, too.
Final thoughts
Some jobs are nigh impossible without formal education. A degree can signal perseverance to a prospective employer. College can create lifelong connections that cannot be replicated by other means. On the other hand, many jobs can be learned by faster, less expensive means. Personal interests can be pursued for free thanks to libraries and the internet. Don't sign yourself up for debt you don't need.
Very important questions, well-stated. I spent a year at college before realizing it wasn't for me, and dropped out. I was fortunate, in that I escaped with only a few thousand dollars in debt and had that paid off in two years, leaving me free to pursue other interests.
Weighing the potential application of a degree vs. the amount of time and money spent acquiring it is of foremost importance. Going to university and majoring in something just because you like it and would like to know more about it, or because you have to pick something, is just as bad as going because of parental or societal expectations. I have a friend who went to medical school not because he was particularly interested in his field of specialization or even the medical field in general, but because his parents wanted to make sure he made enough money to live comfortably during his adult life. To that end, they were willing to pay for his secondary education, but only if that involved medical school. If he had pursued some other area of study which interested him, it would have meant crushing student loan debt, or no education at all.
He does fine for himself, he passed the boards, and he's in private practice. He earns plenty of money. He also used alcohol as a coping mechanism the whole time he was in school, because he hated it so much. Out of my circle of friends from high school, he's probably the wealthiest. I've often wanted to ask him if he felt it was worth it, but that seems like a terrible question to pose to someone who has the financial ability to do pretty much anything in life, despite hating the journey to reach that point. I don't get the impression he's terribly happy, but he lives out of state and I don't have frequent contact with him, so I may be completely off-base. I just don't know.
Sorry for the rambling comment. Very thought-provoking post today, @jacobtothe. :)
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I know of may people who escaped college with mininal debt and just enough experience to see it wasn't the path for them.
Even when selecting a major for purely economic considerations, add a minor in something interesting if possible. A degree in the humanities may not pay economically for most, but adding some courses that broaden your horizons alongside a primary degree is no bad thing, and can enhance employability along with personal enjoyment.
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If I didn’t go for university, I think I would have taken up welding.
Alas, friends and family didn’t like the idea of me choosing that route at the time. Things still worked out. I have a pretty good working schedule with no student debt. I am also using the degree I went for.
A danger people get into is getting that degree for the sake of it, like you said. Often, these people are complacent and lack the passion for their fields. In a way, it’s worse than debts.
This is how we get mediocrity. I’m sure you’ve seen this quite a bit in medical, law, etc. People do the bare minimum and never try to magnify their “calling”.
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One of the things we are discovering thanks to past generations being fixated on college is the absence of skilled labor and a societal disdain for the trades. Degree inflation means many such workers have needless student debt loads.
And yet people get their panties in a bunch when foreign laborers arrive to do those jobs.
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I agree with this wholeheartedly. Not everyone needs to go to college. That shouldnt be the goal, and many young people do not even know what they want to do with their lives, so it doesnt make sense to start digging a hole and getting buried in debt.
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A key example of better alternatives is Computer Science.
Many companies want to get their hands on burgeoning CS students BEFORE they go to college and have their brains destroyed.
What they teach in CS is not used in the real world.
Github is a much better place to learn to code and get an "in" in the industry.
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Tech changes so fast these days that it absolutely requires continual education.
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It's crazy how higher education is turning into the next bubble (my opinion). We have so many going to college just to go or because their parents told them they need to.
I like that most of your points have "you" in them. Because at the end of the day "you" the student are the one spending the time and the money to get that education, so make sure it's not some bullshit you did for someone else!
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Education must always be considered at the individual level. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. I think that is why the US K-12 system is floundering. Everyone is trying to reform a system built on flawed philosophical foundations.
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