In recent years, going to college is something that the majority of high school graduates do. Whether you choose to continue your education after college is a different matter, but it still affects the way that society views the education system. As of October 2021, 61.8 percent of 2021 high school graduates ages 16 to 24 were enrolled in colleges or universities, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, often, we do not think about the 38 percent of high school graduates who do not go to college or look down upon them. In this blog, I want to address the question, why?
While college is something that is a great choice after graduating high school, there are many times as a society that we fail to consider the other options or look at them as inferior. In my opinion, this is something that we must change. It truly is simple; college is not meant for everyone. Why are we acting like everyone who graduates must go to college? Why is it that when someone answers “I’m going to trade school” or “I’m working” that in the back of many people’s heads they will assume that this person is lazy or will not do anything with their life.
Not only are those who don’t go to college sometimes looked at as inferior, but they are not appreciated enough. Most people who are plumbers, landscapers, construction workers, truck drivers, and so many more do not go to college, but we need them all just as much as we need a college-educated society. By the way, half of these occupations will make just as much money in the end as someone who earned their bachelor’s degree. Visual Capitalist states, “Households with at least one person with a bachelor’s degree earn $81,629 per year in salary” According to zip recruiter, plumbers can make $97,000 per year in salary. Not only will they make as much money, but they will have zero debt from their education. One thing is for sure; college is expensive. Education data states, “The average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at a public 4-year in-state institution is $25,707 per year or $102,828 over 4 years.” At this cost, some people also choose to not attend college simply because they cannot afford it.
To conclude, it is essential for us to have these individuals who do not go to college as much as we need the ones who do. Just because someone doesn’t go to college doesn’t mean they don’t work hard. For example, many individuals who do not go to college work the same amount of hours as someone who sits in an office all day. At the end of the day, college is not the only option, and we must open our eyes more to the other alternatives.
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College culture is so real in America. Even in high school, teachers and counselors would always push one way– going to college– more than any other way. It does seem like people with a college degree are almost looked down upon, which is horrible. But this stigma varies around different countries. In India, ‘college culture’ does not really exist. Yes, people go to college, but not all children are pressured to pursue an Bachelor’s degree. A lot of people go straight to the workforce or to areas of trade, and it is not considered inferior. Being part of both these cultures, it is so interesting to see how different they are in terms of college.
I really like the perspective on college that you took on in this post. I completely agree that college is not meant for everyone, and that people who don’t go to college after high school are often looked down upon, even if they end up making the same amount of money in their professions anyways. They often don’t have much student debt (if any at all) and are either usually pursuing an interest of theirs at trade school, or going straight into the workforce. It sucks that this stereotype is so widespread, since there are so many reasons why people do not attend college. Some might have to provide for their families, some might not have enough money, while some simply might not believe that it is the best choice for them. A good example of this phenomenon is that my friend’s dad actually went to college for one year, dropped out, and now owns an incredibly successful contracting business. Anything is possible, even without college. And if someone decides they want to attend college later in life, I also believe that it is important to let them pursue that without any negative stereotypes or stigmas. This was a great post!!
College is entirely too expensive, especially if students do not have any idea of what they want to do. However, the status quo places college as the only option after high school. Many students go to college simply because they are scared of any other options. However, they it is too expensive to only go through the option of college because you are scared. Thank you shedding light on this important topic!