Freshmen writing

Hyeryung Hwang

WRIT 1301

2/2/17

TITLE

College is a time full of making mistakes, friends, and memories. Many people go to college with tunnel vision, where their career is at the end of the tunnel. Within the four or more years of college, you should be out experiencing new things, new people, and new places. However, education should be your number one priority, it shouldn’t be your only priority. Even though college seems fun and exciting, it is not meant for everyone.

In the reading, “Should Everyone Go to College?” (2013) written by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, they repeatedly mention the rate of returns on education. Owen and Sawhill state that, “The best studies show that the return of rate to an additional school year is 10 percent.” (209) This goes to show that while millions of people attend college each year, only 10 percent decided to continue on with their education. These people are, more often than not, viewed as settlers. They settle for the minimum level of education needed for their desired career. I disagree with viewing people as settlers just because they didn’t want to take the time, spend the money, or see a need to continue on with their education. Instead, society as a whole should applaud these people for even deciding to go to college in the first place.

As stated before, college is simply not for everyone. For some people, joining the workforce right after high school is a much better fit from them. For example, these people may need to start working right away to help provide an extra income for their family, or perhaps their desired career does not require anything more than a high school diploma. Whatever their reason may be, I applaud them for choosing the route that best fits their preferred lifestyle.

Lifestyles play a big role in today’s society. For example, many people choose their major or career based off of the salary or hourly wage. However, the amount of education after secondary education can allow a person to make more than someone with only a high school diploma. Owen and Sawhill stated in their essay that, “If we apply this 10 percent rate to the median earnings of about $30,000 for a 25- to 35-year-old high school graduate working full time in 2010, this implies that a year of college increases earnings by $3,000, and four years increases them by $12,000.” (209) This study proves that those who choose to attend college make more money than those who don’t. However, basing your decision solely on the amount of money you may make in the future is not a good reason to go into the chosen field.

For some people making money doesn’t pertain to their wants and needs. Some high school graduates make the honorable decision by joining the armed forces. A lot of times, these people are the kids with the rough past, or the kids who struggled in school. Perhaps school wasn’t easy for them, and no matter how hard they studied or tried, they could not completely grasp what was being taught. As a result, college would not have necessarily been the greatest fit for them. However, they found their suit in the world by joining any of the different branches of the military, where they would rather fight for the lives of the rest of the population of the United States instead of making a salary in a career field.

Even though college may seem fun and exciting, it is not meant for everyone. For some, money isn’t their top priority in life, and may not even be a necessity. Some people even see money as useless. These are the people who are more willing to spend the money on only things that are necessary for life. For example: food, water, and a shelter. On the other hand, just because the people who spend the time and money on furthering their education do so, does not mean money is their main goal in life. Perhaps they want to make a difference in the world by becoming a doctor or nurse, or maybe a scientist looking for the cure to illnesses. Or maybe they just want to obtain any accessible knowledge provided to them. In conclusion, there are many different reasons and aspirations of people who want to go to college and those who do not wish to go.