Should Every American Go to College?

Should Every American Go To College?

        I am the first in my family to go to college. I do find it challenging although I know it will be very rewarding in the end. My dad did not go to college, but owns his own business and has been very successful. I believe that in today's time that it is more important to further your education that it used to be. Going to college gives you the opportunity to make more money, gives you a higher chance of getting a good job, and also gives you the opportunity to explore new ideas and meet new people. Oh and hey! It even is proven that college grads live longer. Although all these things are great, sometimes we over look the cost of going to college. College tuition is not cheap and often causes students to have to take out large loans that will be challenging to pay back. Sometimes students even waste their money because they do not finish their degrees. Although college can cost a large amount of money, if you want to go, there are scholarships and programs that will assist you to get you through. There are both pros and cons of going to college, but I believe that the good out ways the bad.

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        Making a lot of money is a main goal for most people. I know they say that money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure would beat being broke. I know for me personally I want to be successful, and gaining success means meeting your goals and attaining prosperity, and having a college degree can most certainly help you meet those goals, although it may cost you quite a bit to get there. It does take money to make money. The research that I have does has led me to believe that people with college degrees make more money than those who just have a high school diplomas. "On average, a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree earned $30,000 more per year than a high school graduate, or about $500,000 more over a lifetime, as of Apr. 2013" (Procon.org). These statistics show that even if you didn't have any financial help with your college education,  it would still pay itself off back to you. In Forbes' magazine in 2014 the top 400 Richest People list were college graduates. Everyone wants to be rich, whether they admit it or not, and having a college degree can most definitely assist to gain that success.

        It is very important to go out and try new things and meet new people, but there are so many people who never get those opportunities because they choose not to go to college. Going away to a new place with all new people is the perfect opportunity to a fresh start. While you are in college I feel that you also find yourself and the crowd of people you fit in with. You join

clubs, organizations, and really have the chance to show the world your opinions with other people who have the same interests as you all while you are gaining interpersonal skills.  "American children party [in college]. But you know something, by partying, they learn social skills. They learn how to interact with each other…They develop skills which make them innovative. Americans are the most innovative people in the world because of the education system" ( Vivek Wadhwa). Even partying in college is good for you to learn sociable skills, so you can't use that as an excuse not to go. Everyone should experience a little bit of parting in college anyway. There is no better way to make new friends and have connections that will last a life time! Heck a lot of people find their soul mates while in college, so if you don't want to spend forever alone you should most definitely further your education. While meeting people in college you gain access to more options throughout your life; for example, you are trying to find a family doctor for your new family and then you remember that Michael Jones from college and recently heard he had opened up his own office and he is now a doctor. Automatically you have someone you know that you can trust to take care of you and your family.