What is the point of going to College?

College to get a better job is a pretty new concept. Up until around the 40s or 50s, college was simply considered a means of furthering ones education beyond the rudimentary high school level. Basically, college was for people who either already had a job with an employer that wanted them to be more educated, or people who didn't need to land a job right after graduating high school. Nowadays, college is considered a job enhancing thing. Almost every reason a person is given to go to college has more to do with financial gain than learning. The problem is, if you look at it that way, then college is a terrible investment. Sure, if you land a great job with good upward mobility, then the investment has paid off well. However, if you don't, then it's easy to consider the time and money spent in college a waste. If I looked at college like that, I'd have to conclude it was a huge waste. I did get a great job because of it, but now I am disabled and unable to work. To add to that, I'm still stuck with the payments for my student loans. In other words, I will be paying for college for a lot more years than I was there, or gained financially from it. So I'm glad for the knowledge and experiences I gained from college, because they are the only things I'll ever get out of going.

i also wonder about the importance of going to college when i am still a student and the answers came when im already working. I have a friend who choose not to go through the challenge of college and go straight working after high school, he said his position from the start never move and his salary slightly move up even though I know he is a hard working person. What about me? well I enjoy a white collar job now, and all I ever did is just as he did, work hard to find a decent job and the rest comes easy.

Some career paths require degrees, and therefore college is a necessity for those (although I think this is ridiculous: as a business owner myself, I would much rather hire people with motivation and experience instead of those who have sat behind a desk and studied off words on paper). Contrary to the recent popular belief, college is NOT a necessity for all people. It sounds like you have doubts about college--and I don't know if you are considering going or not--but my advice is that if you have a creative mind and a motivated spirit, DON'T. There are so many careers out there that don't require you to waste your time and money. For example... At thirteen, I went to modeling school and did a commercial, some photoshoots, and a runway show. No college degree required, although it does take some certain physical attributes--which is why I quit, since I don't agree with the modeling career path itself. At fifteen, I bought a condominium and began a real estate business that I further grew with another property bought at eighteen. No college degree required there, either, although a good credit score and an ability to make enough rent to pay the bills IS required. Finally, just within the past few months I started publishing novels that I've been writing for years on end. No college degree required. A lot of things can be done without a college degree--although many degrees can be achieved to "help" these careers out. You can get degrees in real estate and degrees in English. Required? No. Helpful? Very debatable. Expensive? Heck yes. So I'd like to remind all those younger adults out there that college is NOT a necessity. Your parents and friends may want to make it seem like it is, but there is always the motivated entreprenuer route. And if you believe the whole "you make one million dollars extra in a lifetime with a college degree" jazz, I suggest you research into the realities of that claim. By the time a bachelor's degree is paid off, you could have made so much more with a simple diploma. End of story: if you want a career that you LOVE and you need a degree, get one. Otherwise, it isn't worth it.

I recommend college. I went to college many years after graduating from high school, and I loved every minute of it. I was tired of working for minimim wage in dirty boring jobs, so I decided to do something about it. I will never be sorry that I did it. I ended up with a job I truly enjoyed and helped others. College gives you a different perspective of the world and opens your eyes to all kinds of possibilities. College is not for partying and getting drunk. If you do that, then it is a waste of time and money. But if you go with the purpose of improving yourself and your mind, it will definitely help you be successful in life. Remember one thing ... There is always room at the top. If you are good at something, you will find success.

i dont think college is good for some of us unless you want to be a teacher or lawyer or something like that, because other jobs want experience and they are not bothered if you have qualifications anymore. alot of people do courses as they work and gain nvq's etc on the job so in a way college is a waist of time.

Caz everybody need to enrich their knowledge so that they can be more compatitive in the new sociaty

I agree when they say having a college degree does improve the chances of getting a job. I only took a test to become a para-professional, (One who helps teach children in school), and got the second highest score in the county and yet for the last three years, no one has hired me. I found out through my neighbor's daughter who is a para-professional that at her dad's school, (He is the principal,) that they only hired para-professionals who have a 4-year degree. So even if one doesn't feel like they will get the job of their dreams, having a degree does increase your chances of getting a job, period...

If you're willing to see it through then it's all worth it. Dropping out with a large bill is really a worst case scenario, but the majority successfully finish their education, land a good job, and pay off the debt. College rules! :)

Hi nasarcia. I am study in college too and will graduate in Bachelor of Management soon in 2012. It cost more but it is necessary in our life today to have a high levl and certification in our education. Before this i hate to go to college too but then i know it's priority and important for my life. People also respect more to me because in my country, people who have high education is get more respect and can get good job. So the debt is number 3 in my life and can be setlle after i graduate and get the good job. But i also have good life and can make money more by online, so i can pay it from now. So no doubt about the debt. It give us more satisfaction to achive high level in our education too even we do not know a guaranteed job wait for us after finish our study.

Well, in my opinion college is overrated. In some countries, for example, Japan, the education level in college is really low, and people just spend 4 years doing nothing but to play, and almost don't study. However, many companies won't hire anyone who didn't go to college, and I wonder why, if people who went to college are as unprepared as a person who didn't? The only difference is that the person who went to college spent a lot of money in "education". At first I thought that college was important in education, but later I found out the truth and now I see no point on going to college, apart from having a paper that will make it a little easier to find a job.

Well college is always good to go too I mean you won't get yourself in debt if you go to a community college because they are always cheap want I don't like though is that classes fill up quick so one always has to be on a waitlist. Oh well anyway college is good to get a better education. For me I went right after I finished highschool because I don't want to wait I want to be quick to graduate so that I could get a job as a medical assistant and get on with my life so that I can make a decent living and start helping out my parents. That's why I keep on going to college I mean it's even cheaper when one applies for the fafsa free money what could be better they are paying one to go to college so it's all good.

going to the collage have many reasons boys usually go to collage to find out how much new and beautiful girls is their???? how much new girls admit their?????? which one girl may be the girlfriend???? and the most important think what every one not do at collage, that is reading books, listing lecture of the teachers....

i think parents should really ask children if they're ready to study, if they want to. if they want to have a good job in the future. i'm not a fan of college myself, i considered dropping college at one point. thing is.. if your child doesn't study, the money spent there is in vain.

Oh it depends on the course you take and if your very lazy to find a job. The point of going to college is to get a degree that people need to find a job. Most of the companies today are in need of fresh graduate from colleges with the courses they need.

No one is guaranteed a job but when you do, with a good degree, you will most likely get a job that pays a lot more than than you would be able to earn if you did not have a degree. Even if it took you 10 years to pay off the debt, your working life is likely to be 40 years or more and you can either spend those 40 years flipping burgers in MDs or in holding down a well paid professional job that a good degree will open the door to. Any good businessman will tell you that you have to invest in order to make money. Money spent on education is money that is being invested in YOU and without that investment, you'll end up on the scrapheap of life.

They look at people's education at job interviews.

I can't answer that as I have $140 thousand in college loans and here I am unemployed, so did college work..LOL..

Hi everyone, first post for me here. The way I see things, college isn't for everyone. And for many people it does prove to be a waste of time of money. I think the important thing is to know your priorities, what you want to do with your life and how hard you're ready to work for it. If you think you can lead a happy life working for minimum wages, you don't need to go to college. But if you want to make real money and have a successful career, a college education will dramatically increase your chances. Of course, a college education doesn't guarantee anything. But if you're ready to work and study really hard, there's a really good change it will make a difference in your professional career. And, in the end, NOT going to college won't guarantee you a job either. On the contrary.

Yes, I will answer that. I just think going to college is gratificant if you learn about what you always liked and wanted to know, it's a WONDERFUL experience (I'm in college now) and I believe it's very rewarding experience. I learned a lot of things and I'm only in the first year of psychology. I would recommend to try it at least one time in your life, if you happen to see that you don't like it, maybe you chosed a wrong way... anyway what I want to say is; just for learning, it's currently a nice experience. Anyway, maybe after studing what you like, you will get better jobs if the study has good guaranteed job, so it may be a plus, in my opinnion. Never choose a college study for his "guaranted job", it's simple, you will be happier with the job you like. Best regards

i'm also wondering about that,, i'm striving hard to pass college but am afraid i may not pay back my mother, see, my father's not here anymore, and my mother and brothers make the efforts to finance me, that's why i'm thinking, what if i can't have a job after i graduated.. i've seen many of the graduates staying only at home or maybe applying for a lot of jobs but can't even have one,,