Do you really need a College Degree?

Towards the end of the school year, high school seniors all across the country are checking and refreshing their email obsessively. We might see them rushing down the driveway whenever they hear the sound of a van, hoping for that all-important piece of paper, the acceptance letter!  This one piece of paper, a letter from their dream college, can make or break dreams.

There are also some people busy making plans to engage in some sort of self-directed learning.  These people don’t want to waste time with prerequisites or courses that have little or nothing to do with the direction they plan on taking in life.  Regardless of what type of student you are, ongoing education is crucial in this fast-paced world.  Things change quickly and we’ve got to keep up.

We asked some experts and regular folks if a college education was really necessary nowadays.  Like Kiyosaki and Lechter made clear in the classic “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” the answers from each group are extremely different and may hold some surprises.

So, it’s time to ask yourself, “do I really need a college degree to be successful?” Read on carefully, find out if having a college degree is really important or really worth pursuing.

Define Success

Success means different things to different individuals.  Success can be derived through any number of means, too.  It is no longer necessary to attend college in order to be successful – depending on your definition of success, that is.  Some of the wealthiest and most famous individuals did not graduate from college.  Some did not even graduate from high school.  It all depends on what you want to do.

Going to college is no longer an assurance of success.  Less than half of those who start out going to college finish.  Those who do finish often finish with an enormous amount of debt.  Of course, if your goal is to be a doctor, you have to go to college but here’s some news that may surprise you.  A group of recently polled doctors says that they would not advise their children to follow in their footsteps.  Why not?  The two biggest reasons were debt and governmental and insurance red tape.  They find their careers extremely stressful and would choose to not do it again.  

Sure, a college degree can assist you in achieving some ambitious goals but it’s no longer necessary and can even waste some valuable time.  A college degree may be mandatory if you desire is a professional career but little else.  Online classes and courses can teach you many, if not all, desired business skills.  Some are given by Ivy League Universities and some are even free.  Just take a look on iTunes.  You now have an infinite number of learning options at your fingertips.  Great free information is flooding society as we speak.  Plus, many non-college graduates have already forged some easy-to-follow paths to millionaire and billionaire status.  How far you go is really just up to you. 

What, if Anything, Can a College Degree Offer You?

1. A Professional Career: For some careers or professions, a degree is essential. You can’t become a doctor, surgeon, or attorney without a degree.  Well, actually you can become an attorney without a degree if you pass the boards.  However, only a few have taken that route, so far.  

2. You may earn More Money: There was a time when a college graduate earned more money but that gap is closing and closing fast. Studies indicate that there is an average of $25,000 difference in earnings between a college graduate and an individual who didn’t go to college BUT (and it’s a huge but…) more new millionaires are self-educated.  Statistics want you to believe this gap is widening every year, the gap between college-educated and no college education but they aren’t looking at the entire picture. It really depends on your major, your debt, and your ability to get a job in your chosen career.  The fundamental and most important factor is that when you pursue a degree, it increases the ability to find work in the same field, which also increases experience and earning potential.  Otherwise, you can have a degree and work at Home Depot, as a lot of college graduates do.

3. You Become Attractive to Employers: This may still be true for some but not for all. Even Google is hiring non-grads these days, as well as some other companies who want their employees to think outside of the box.  Going to college requires critical and analytical thinking, good organization skills, and also the ability to start and finish a project.   These attributes and proficiencies used to distinguish graduates for a flexible range of employment in areas or sectors that offer more job openings but no longer.  According to “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” American grads are dumber than ever before and big businesses know it.  They spend more time on their phones than in their books and more than 40% won’t learn anything new in the four years that they attend.

4. Better Job Security: Recently, studies have shown that compared to someone who didn’t go to college, college graduates holding a position in the medical or teaching field are less likely to be laid off during a recession. When you consider factors like benefits and a steady income, you might also be able to argue that those with a college degree may have better job security.

The key to success is education – any education!  Whether it’s taking classes online or earning a college degree, education opens doors for individuals from all backgrounds and expands the human mind with knowledge.  When you are a lifetime student, it helps you to achieve your goals.  Your mind is the most powerful weapon you have so use it and use it often.

Michelle R Russell

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