Should College Be of Interest?
Many people believe that college is not for them. “I don’t need college to succeed,” “College is a waste of my money,” or “I can’t afford to go to college.” These are a few phrases thrown around quite commonly in our society by our loved ones and friends. The thing is, college should be of interest.
Why College Should Be of Interest
Let us take a minute to answer the negative phrases listed above. The phrase “I don’t need college to succeed” may be true to some extend, but the network you create while you’re at college is priceless. The people I meet today in my classes, organizations (fraternity), and even at parties will be the future leaders of this world whether we like it or not. Every person I meet could possibly be a potential client or even business partner sometime in the future – I just don’t know it yet. Many of world’s richest people credit college for their success, even if they dropped out before graduating. They say that college allowed them to create a network of people, which ultimately helped them be where they are today.
The phrase “College is a waste of my money” could also be true, but probably isn’t. There’s this thing called human capital, we should all think about investing into more of it. College is definitely a way to invest in your human capital. Human capital can be as simple as gaining knowledge on a more diverse range of subjects. You also invest in your human capital while you sleep. The money you spend to go to college will pay itself off when you land that better paying job after graduation.
Lastly, the phrase “I can’t afford to go to college” is complete bullsh*t. There are so many opportunities available to people who help to pay for tuition such as scholarships, financial aid, and grants. People (not all) who claim they can’t afford college are the ones who are trying to find an easy way out of life. All a person needs to do is put in a little bit of effort to fill out applications and the proper paperwork. I’ve personally had a few friends who said they wouldn’t be able to afford college. I told them to look into financial aid and fill out the proper paperwork to receive grants. It turns out that they are now attending 4 year universities because everything but maybe a few thousand dollars is paid for through grants and other means.
My Personal Thoughts
I’ll be honest with you guys. My 3 years at college has taught me a lot about myself and many other things. I used to think college was a waste of my time; however, my view has changed. I believe college is a great opportunity, as mentioned earlier, to create a network of friends. I may think that general education (GE) courses may not teach me the things I need to know in life or my major, but my organizational skills and time management skills have surely improved.
College is a definite two thumbs up for me. There’s no way someone can’t afford college because there are endless opportunities to take advantage of. College should be of interest because it also helps you grow a person mentally and physically whether or not you notice the changes right away. If you’re thinking about going to college, dropped out of college and want to pursue your degree and graduate I suggest that you do! You have nothing to lose and much much more to gain. The experience alone is priceless.
I’m happy that you have found reward in what some may consider a waste of time. I too have heard those excuses thrown around. If you really want something you’ll go after it. You will find the resources to make it happen. No excuse is too big that you cannot overcome it. But if your mind is set for thinking it is a waste of time then that will become your reality. Success in life can come from many experiences. Colleges, as you point out, can reward you with more than just book smarts.
Glad you are looking back at your three years and moving forward in life knowing that your time in college was not a waste of time. Pointing out that the reward can been seen in the road ahead rather than your present location on that road.
Keep on keeping on.
College does offer an unique experience that I think everyone should go through. Although there are the few (like that one 17 year old that dropped out of highschool to pursue her myspace design site that is now a million dollar business) that are obviously on their way to enjoying a great life with a great mind.
Coincidentally I am working on a post about school. I’ll be touching on what I hope to post about some day (who knows when…)
College isn’t for everyone and as much as I love education it’s amazing that what you get out of school is not what you are taught. That is: time management, discipline, making friends, cooperating!
That is, if you actually managed to gain those skills.
I do think that college can teach you a lot about yourself and I made the majority of my friends in college. I’m all for it! In fact, I’m glad that it “forced” me to learn things that I may not have learned otherwise like physics and history.
College didn’t give me any “real world” skills. This may be different in other fields but in my field (computer science) I learned all theory and then I hit the real world and the “software development cycle” hahahaha! Toss that out the window. No pun intended.
YET. What going to college gave me was confidence. I think it all depends on what you hope to get out of college. Depending on your interests, you may or may not find college valuable.
One reason for going to college is credibility. Not the best reason but unless you already have a proven track record, most people will pick the person with a degree over the one without.
Thanks for the kind words Urban, Susan, and Ms. Q!!
College is definitely time consuming but well worth the investment. The people I’ve met here have changed me in so many ways and have helped me build upon my own character.
Although, looking at it from an academic perspective it’s definitely challenging me. I just hate being tied up with schoolwork all the time!!
People have different opinions of course.. But college, IMO, is certainly something useful.. I personally feel that I learn more about myself and my abilities and also it gives us a platform to exhibit them as well..
Whatever one studies in a college, I am sure it will be useful at some point in their life..
Hello Gregg, long time no talk.
I think college can be a nice jumping-board and an educating experience, just as long as one does not forget it is not a must at all in the road for success and that one should not take the financial-principals this kind of institute try to fix in people’s minds for granted.
Hope to see you at my blog soon, I’m planning a little comeback
Allen
I think it’s pretty easy to argue for and against going to college. I think the social experience and the experience of “being on your own” is priceless, yet the actual educational value I think varies. To me at least it seemed like I was working towards a piece of paper that says I’m qualified when I already knew I was. These days, at least for most people, it’s something that you have to have in order to make it through the ranks in a company, or even get hired!
offtopic:
don’t know where to write it
Gregg, who say it? - “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me” ?? so interesting
I suppose that, as it is with everything in life, choosing whether or not something is right for you, is all up to an individual.
Sure, college serves on a platter, most of the stuff you need to secure a good life, but that isn’t the only way to get it.
Personally, I think college has helped me a lot. But that could be because I’m a lazy bum.
How are things going Gregg?
Just trying to keep busy
Hope all is well for you and your family!
College plays a very improtant role in someone’s life. It helps great to secure our future.
Of course college should be a priority of every person who wanted to be successful someday. It is the final stage wherein your knowledge is being nourish before your plight to the real world of business.