Blog Post #3 - What is College Good For?

When deciding whether or not to go to college, one may ask “what is college good for?”  College is a huge decision in life and I think there are many pros and cons to attending college.  People may only think of a few reasons of why college is good, but I am going to list a few more answers.

College benefits you by receiving an education.  Not many people like going to school every day, but in the long run, you learn so much information.  When going into college, one usually chooses a specific major.  In the article Don't Miss the College Forest for the Career Trees, it says that 60% of people graduate with a different major than the one they decided when they came into college.  I personally feel that even if you do change your major, you walk away by gaining knowledge in another area of study as well.  Later in life, if you do decide to change your job, you have another option to choose from.  Rose, one of the authors listed on Professor: Value Of College Extends Beyond Paycheck, feels that learning things doesn't just make a living, but it lets us do things with our life. 

Another reason why college is good for you is because it makes you grow as a person.  In high school, many teachers let you turn things in late, make up work, and remind you about certain tasks.  Once you reach college, no one is there to “baby” you!  You have to take full responsibility on your own.  I think this is completely fair because once we graduate college, we are in the real world where we have to do things on our own.  There is not going to be that “friendly reminder” or turning in your work late.  No, you get fired from your job if that happens.  People don’t take these things lightly in life because if you graduated from college, you should have grown up.  As stated in the article, Live and Learn, society wants to find intelligent people early on so they can put them in the careers they should be in.  They will be able to show all the talents they are capable of and be of great use to that program.

In today’s society, money is a huge factor for everything.  If you don’t have a job, or were lucky enough to inherit a family member’s money, you will probably have a rough time with life.  After reading Why is College Good, it stated that college can help you obtain the career of your choice. People must understand that most jobs in today’s world require receiving an education, also known as going to college.  Some may feel that college is a waste of time, but if you want to work in life, you most likely need an education higher than high school.  So if you think it is just another pointless, four years of school, remember, college does help you in the long run. 

People may have a bit of financial difficulty while attending college, but afterwards, we learn the importance of balancing our money.  Living in the real world is something many of us do not know yet.  There are so many things we have to pay for: a house, mortgage, insurance, food, clothes, and so much more.  After attending college, we learn how precious every penny really is. 

So really think about the job you want to have, the salary you want to be making, or the discipline you have later in life.  Just remember, those all came from going to college.

Blog Post #2 - Why College?

In life, we all have choices to make and a huge one for me was choosing to attend college.  College is not for everyone, but I knew if I wanted to go far in life, be successful, and have a job that I love, I must attend college.  There are pros and cons of attending college so I will list my reasons.

First off, it is expected in my family that I go to college.  My dad attended DePaul University and received his bachelor’s degree.  He is an accountant at Northwest Community Hospital so he makes good money to support his family.  My mom, on the other hand, went to Harper College and only received her associate’s degree.  She is still very successful, but does not make as much money.  Once I am finished with college, I hope to have my bachelor’s degree, if not higher, because I want to be able to have a family and I need to have money to support them.

Another reason is because of the salary.  According to The Learning Network in the New York Times, college is a luxury item.  Many of the service-industry jobs are available to people without a college education and are less financially rewarding.  About 25% of people in 2010 did not attend college.  The most these people can make is roughly $39,000.  In my opinion, I do not think this is too much.  I would like to make more for my spouse, family, and myself.

By going to college I would receive a better education.  I never want to sell myself short in life.  With a college education, there are so many job opportunities that I would have.  As of right now, I do not know what I want to do in life so going to college for 4 years will give me some time to decide.

Independence is also a huge factor in going to college.  When teenagers live at home their whole life they do not know how to do things without mommy and daddy being there.  It gives us a real opportunity of growing up.  I wanted that because my parents do not give me everything, but they are a huge help in my life.  It is time that I learn to do things completely on my own and become an adult.

College correspondingly teaches us how to financially support ourselves.  Our parents usually give us money when we need it, but what happens when they are not there?  We need to learn to balance our money.  Sometimes we may not have an income so we need to be smart with saving.  I can already say from personal experience that I watch what I spend way more now than when I was at home.

Lastly, I chose college for the experience.  College should be a fun place where we meet people, receive a better education, and grow into a new person.  It is supposed to be some of the greatest years of our life so why not have a blast.

College may not be for everyone, but I see a lot of positives from attending college.  I know this is the beginning of a long, exciting life and college is going to shape me into a successful, determined, hardworking person.