investment if students obtain a flexible, marketable skill set. It can bring many advantages to an individual’s future that can make the debt worth the cost.
A higher education is becoming a necessary for employment today. Competition in the job market has increased dramatically in the last several years. As Burlutskai states in his peer reviewed journal, "It is not surprising that employers very often insist on higher education as a minimal requirement even for very ordinary jobs as secretary or salesclerks" (59). It can be challenging to obtain any jobs that typically are considered "ordinary" without a higher education, as employers will be searching for qualifications and credentials that others don't already have. A superior education will be an admission ticket to the job market and an advantage over others who don't have post high school education. In terms of income, having a college degree will get people better pay. Marklein writes in her New York Times newspaper article, "But findings also indicate that employers will pay a larger salary for college graduates even in jobs that are not typically considered college-level positions." Given this reality, being able to obtain a job with a suitable salary is possible without a college degree but, “According to a 2002 report by the Census Bureau, a college graduate can expect to earn nearly $1 million more in lifetime earnings than a high-school graduate can” (Wilson 260). Another advantage of a degree graduates have the upper hand on potential employment. College graduates have more job options and more job security. A potential good income provides financial stability to be able to pay any student debt obtained in college.
Student debt is one of the deciding factors that might keep a person from attending college. According to “A study by the projects found that in 1993, only about half 1.3 percent of graduating seniors had borrowed… By 2004 the proportion had risen to 7.7 percent” (Wilson 262). The borrowing rate is much higher today than it was years ago and it brings up this question, “Why do some students borrow more than $40,000 for a bachelor’s degree when average borrowing is only half of that?” (Wilson 257). Most people have high tuition cost, because they don’t analyze their college options. Some options to be considered to avoid a large amount of debt are shopping around at colleges not settling for the first one that comes to mind. People need to evaluate which college offers better tuition prices, and which is are better fit financially for the person. Although attending a name brand college looks good, it could add several thousand dollars to student debt. At a college with a more convenient price range a person could achieve the same degree and earn just as much as students who attended a more expensive college. People need to know how much out of pocket financial contribution they will have to make towards their education in order to start a budget plan to have a college savings account. Financial aid and scholarships are great sources for students, but sometimes people don’t qualify for any financial aid so, student shouldn’t depend on any aid paying for their college education. That is where a college savings account has great advantages. Analyzing career options, getting a career that is always in demand will provide a lot more chances of finding employment after graduating. Majors need to be researched, because sometimes people choose careers that don’t pay back and they find it hard to pay back student loans.
More often than not, students want a higher education and are willing to sign any loan documents to get the money to finish college without fully understanding the responsibility a loan entails. They need to read and fully understand what it is, and how much they are signing for. They need to careful about what they sign because many are inexperienced with loans, and most are inexperienced with dealing money without their guardians. Students should think about the risk of borrowing too much money because too often “people lose control of their finances, and sometimes they make choices you wish they hadn’t made” (Wilson 262). Unexpected things happen, and sometimes loans keep adding up and students are unable to make payments. They need to live within their means and sign for a loan that can be affordable without disturbing too much of their lives. Leonhardt states, “Among four-year college graduates who took out loans, average debt is about $25,000, a sum that is a tiny fraction of the economic benefits of college.” The debt of $25,000 is average and should be where students aim or lower to not spend the rest of life paying student debts. Higher education can be worth the price because as Leonhardt wrote in his article, “Not going to college will cost you about half a million dollars.” The amount of student debt compared to a higher lifetime earnings, and better employment benefits makes the debt gained while obtaining a college degree worth it.
Attending College and getting an education is not just about getting a degree.
It is about obtaining certain marketable skills that will help you in life. College will be a quest of knowledge and experiences for life. In college they will experience working under pressure, when multiple assignments are due and finals are coming. Being able to work under pressure and coming out of those situations with a positive result and adapting to change is crucial for success. Students will learn “people skills” that teach them how to communicate, understand others, and how to act appropriately and get along with those around in a general social environment. Connection with others will provide life long friendships and will be good for after getting a degree, having well-connected networks for job opportunities in the future. Being exposed to multicultural students is an advantage because people never know for sure what culture they end up working with. They should learn to be able to adapt to other cultural norms. They will learn problem-solving skills; college student's lives are busy with a wide range of activities related to school, home, work, family, and friends they will need to be able to balance life. Things that most people without a higher education will lack. It becomes a major personal achievement. One commenter writes, “The topic is no longer money but job satisfaction- intrinsic rewards” (Murray 236). For some low- income students, they are the only ones who have attended and will graduate from college in their families; they are the only ones with an opportunity to have an education, and that is something to have pride about. After graduating, students might finally be able to obtain their desired dream jobs, those that bring satisfaction. Earning a degree for something they have a passion for, and job in which they will be happy. They will feel competency, and satisfaction of individual growth of ability and
knowledge.
A higher education is an investment for the future, bringing with it many benefits for the degree holder. The more people attend college; the more likely they are to be employed and happy with their career paths, unlocking opportunities in employment and in life for themselves. Attending college and getting a degree has never been so valuable before. The amount of student debt doesn’t make up for the benefits graduates gained in return. They will likely secure a job with a good salary and as a result, feeling the overall satisfaction from earning a higher education. To reach goals and dreams “College is the key” (Addison 213).