Is College Necessary?

Alexis Carrasco, Reporter

Throughout America, prominent opinions on college are now shifting. More and more people see college as an unnecessary waste of time and money. However many young people still believe that a degree is the only way to receive a good job in the future. But is it possible to receive a good job without a degree? In 2013 The New York Times interviewed Google’s Senior Vice President for Peoples Operations about hiring non-graduates. In this interview he revealed that about 14% of people who work at Google have never gone to college. Yet, Google is one of the most innovative, prestigious, and prosperous companies in the entire world. On the other hand, on average a college graduate earns about 65% more than someone who just has their high-school diploma. The two statistics contrast greatly but each have their own benefits. To get a realistic viewpoint from both sides of the story I decided to interview a recent high-school graduate who decided against going to college and a freshmen in college. ( Student A is the freshman in college while student B is the recent high-school graduate who decided against college).

What high-school did you attend?

Student A: North Providence High School, North Providence, Rhode Island.

Student B: BMC Durfee High School, Fall River, Massachusetts.

Where are you currently living/staying?

Student A: Pace University, New York

Student B: Fall River, Massachusetts

What do you want to do as a career choice?

Student A: I want to work for a huge corporation like Sony. I’m majoring in business management so if that doesn’t work I will probably want to manage a successful artist.

Student B: I want to become a dancer.

Why did/didn’t you go to college?

Student A: Essentially, so I can get a good job and have a stable financial life. However I find myself in college because my parents both didn’t go to college so I’m sort of doing this whole school for the rest of my life thing for them.

Student B:What I want to pursue doesn’t require a college degree.

What opportunities have been offered to you since graduating high school/ after entering college?

Student A: It’s only the second month so not many opportunities have been offered to us freshmen. However in terms of jobs and such, companies are more likely to hire us college students rather than non-college students. For example I had a job interview at Abecrombie and Fitch last friday. There were three college students and two non-college students. Me and the other two college students were hired and the other two people who weren’t college students weren’t hired.

Student B: I got offered a job working for troubled children, I got offered a judging job at two dance competitions, I have multiple teaching jobs, (and) I work for a privately owned company.

What have you learned about yourself since graduating high school/ entering college?

Student A: I can get through anything as long as I put my mind to it.

Student B: I’m not a school person, I would rather work than do homework.

What did you wish high school taught you?

Student A: I wish high school taught me how to survive in the real world. High school gave me false hope that you can turn anything in whenever you want and not be penalized which is completely false in college and real life.

Student B: How hard it is to support yourself at a young age.

What do you think life would be like if you did/didn’t attend college?

Student A: I feel like I wouldn’t be who I am today. You learn a lot about yourself in college. I feel like if I was still at home I’d still be doing what I always did: sleep, eat and work.

Student B: Work would probably be easier to find but, I also think it would be much more stressful and harder to balance adulthood along with schoolwork.

Do you think college is important/ necessary?

Student A: Depends on what you plan on doing with your life, if you want a successful career and want at least 100k a year than college is beneficial (so I’ve been told). I think college is important because this is how you learn to live on your own and be responsible for yourself. So college is important in a sense but not so much in the way it is intended for.

Student B: I don’t think it’s necessary, not everyone goes to college and survives fine, they just have to work a little harder… but it is important for certain job fields and careers.

Are you happy with the decisions you have made?

Student A: Yes, I couldn’t be happier.

Student B: I’m happier with the decisions I am making now more than the decisions I made during high school.

 

Overall, going to college is completely up to you. You should never be forced into anything you don’t want to do.  College is not something that is going drastically change your life forever. If you do what makes you happy and set your mind to it and work for it everyday then you will be able to achieve anything with a college degree or a high school diploma. Its all up to you.