Essay, Research Paper: The Real Price Of A College Education

The Real Price of a College Education
So where do you plan to go to college? What college do you go to? Where did you get your degree?
I am sure you have heard these questions quite a few times in your lifetime already. You have probably heard these questions from people you do not even know. For these questions to come up so often and by so many people, they must obviously relate to something rather important, a college education.
Just how important to you is a college degree? I believe it should be everyone's priority to do everything they can to obtain one. Have you ever been turned down by a job, denied a promotion, or simply wondered why someone you know is making more money than you, when you know you might be better at that job? Did you ever take the time to think this might be because you do not have a college degree?
As you can see today's standards for education have been raised much higher than in previous years. Years ago there were no requirements for an education. Through the years there became a demand for a high school education, now a high school education and fifty cents will get you a candy bar. In today's society a college education is needed and in most cases required. Even a full four-year college degree is becoming the bare minimum as we enter the new century.
In most cases today people are choosing to continue their education beyond their four-year degree. Most people are now looking towards obtaining their masters degree in their field of study. This is showing us the competition we are facing in the working world and just how important that college diploma is.
Many people will argue the fact that college costs a great deal of money, so why should they spend money when they can be earning money. My answer to that is, you have to look at the overall view and look at where you would like to be in ten years from now. I agree that college does cost a great amount of money, a state funded college such as Bloomsburg or Penn State costs about nine-thousand dollars a year for residents including room and board. A private college education such as Kings or Wilkes can cost as much as thirty-two thousand dollars per year including room and board.
The money you make without a degree can look impressing at first, but that might just be because you are young. The job you obtain will not leave you with much room for advancement, whereas once you obtain a college degree you can come out and be the boss of those people who have been there for the past four years while you were in college. The money you will make at that higher position will make those years of school worth every penny you invested.
Many people may argue that experience is the best education, and I agree with them to a certain extent. Experience is learning and hands on in your field, but a background education is also useful and no matter how you may feel, the way of society is what we have to follow and that piece of paper, a diploma, is what counts.
Take a look at your family, friends, and people you know. Now look at which direction our world and society is turning towards. How many elderly people do you know that have gone to college? Probably not many because a college education was not important many years ago. Now look at today's adults, I think it would be safe to say about half have gone to college. This is because there was a need for one and some chose to go and others didn't. Looking at today's teens and young adults, the majority are in college, are planning to go, or have already gone. Why is this?
Society's youth are going to college because they realize what they are going to face in the real world, the competition, and they want to be ready for it. Now look at today's children, how many parents want their children to go to college? I would say close to all of them. Parents want their children to go to college because they want the best for their kids and they know what the real world is like.
One of the problems we are facing today is the money issue. There are many people who would like to go to college but they simply cannot afford it. I believe this is something our government definitely needs to address and work on. The government offers financial aid, but for many that just is not enough.
As I leave you with some final thoughts, just remember who has college degrees, who needs them, and why they are needed. Look at society's evolution from our children, to teens, to young adults, to adults, all the way up to the elderly. See where you fit in and what role you would like to play in society. Think about what level of power you would like to hold, because it all lies in your hands and it is up to you and only you.


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