Analysis Is a College Degree Necessary for Success

Finishing up senior year in high school you look back, after completing 12 years of schooling, a question starts to form in your head. Is college necessary? Going to school for 12 years prior to that is not enough? Working a nine to five job and getting paid minimum wage would not be that bad, would it? In reality, this is not the future anyone is striving for. This is is a college degree necessary for success essay in which the topic is discussed. 

Clearly, the way to achieve a high- level job and a successful future is a college degree. College is one of the most important tools in life, in order to be successful. College provides its graduates a greater chance to work at a higher paying job. Without a doubt, adults who attend college earn higher wages over those who do not. As mentioned in “Even With Debt, College Still Pays Off ” by Gillian B. White is a deputy editor of The Atlantic, employees who have a bachelor's degree earn an average of 83% more than people with only a high school degree. Along with these numbers, the results of a study conducted by the Treasury and Education Departments in 2011 show that college graduates with full time jobs earned 64% more per week than high school graduates. A similar study conducted in 2013 showed that a full-time worker with a bachelor's degree earns 79% more than one without a college degree . There are numerous studies that verify that people who attend college earn higher wages. Furthermore, college graduates earn more desirable jobs. As mentioned in the article “Top 10 Reasons Why College is Important” by Susan Bogle Associate Vice President of Product Marketing, a 2016 Pew Research report found that 77% of workers with a post-graduate degree and 60% of workers with a bachelor's degree believe their job gives them a sense of identity, versus just 38% of those with a high school diploma or less. Workers with a bachelor's degree or more advanced education were are also significantly more to say their job is a career, with 70% viewing their job as a career compared to just 39% of workers with no college education .

Many students feel like college is not for them and consider the option of dropping out. Thinking if they drop out they’ll be working labor and dirty jobs, but in reality that is not always the case. It probably won’t be the most desirable career to start upon, but over time that person can make the decision to go unto another job or go back to get their degree. A bachelor's degree, as well as a higher level of education will be required to perceive the path in medicine, dentistry and law. Additionally, all of these careers share one thing in common: they require results, and in many cases, require years of hard work and study to achieve success. When looking at the bigger aspect having an education is different from a degree. An education can be formal, informal, self-directed, on the job training, professional licenses and certifications, or any other form of education. Some notable icons that are excluded from this list are Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Lebron James, Mark Zuckerberg and many others who are considered most successful entrepreneurs that are college dropouts. I can imagine the amount of hard work, training, practice, and study they had to go through to achieve their success and often equal or far exceed the amount of effort an average person puts into an average 4 year degree.

For some students, traditional college may not be the best choice if you want to work in a trade like plumbing or construction. However, that doesn’t mean the classroom days are over. If a student decide not to pursue a bachelor’s degree, there is an option to learn marketable skills through a vocational training program or a career school education. For example, a trades school like New England Institute of Technology or NEIT in Rhode Island is a great school that teaches its students various valuable skills. Some of the things that are offered are Architectural Building, Engineering Technology, Business Management ,Civil Engineering and Technology Construction Management. Looking at these majors, these are very in depth, requiring a lot of work majors. Yes, becoming a doctor or a cardiologist will require a lot more schooling and years of education, but being a doctor is not for everyone. Some people enjoy working with their hands, whether it being planting trees, building houses or fixing cars. Unfortunately, some people might not be able to afford a degree at a University. After doing some research I was able to find that an average college student finishes his schooling with a $25,000 student debt. Which they will have to pay of later on, whether it being 10, 15 or even 30 years. Some of the top universities like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and many others, will leave their students with a larger debt. According to Harvard’s website, tuition costs for the 2019-2020 school year total $47,730, fees are $4,195, and room and board costs $17,682 for a subtotal of billed costs of $69,607. Ofcourse, there are many brilliant students that attend these schools and receive scholarships and other awards that helps to decrease the price of tuition.

Success can be defined in different ways for a lot of people. For some, it has to with making enough money to be able to travel, buy large houses, luxury cars and designer clothes. Basically having financial freedom. For others it is about making their families proud, so their family and friends see them as successful. In other words, getting that degree from a college or university and have a bright future ahead of them. During high school, I took the Advanced material processing class, basically wood shop. During that time we made bird houses, wooden benches and learned the concept of working with wood. The teacher for that class was Doug Fedorko. Personally, I think he is one of the best teachers, his ability to make connections with students and his hard work ethics are exceptional. Not only that, but he would tell us his personal experiences and stories throughout his life. Alongside with teaching, he was a very successful owner of an appliance company. Specifically appliance installations and repairs. He was working with refrigerators, microwaves and stoves, appliances that we use in our everyday lives. Coming every morning he would talk to us, sort of ask about our plans for the future. Some students planned on going to college, and others of to trade schools. One day, Mr. Fedorko said a sentence that stays with me to this day, he said, “ Being able to do a trade is important, but having a college degree as well is crucial”. Hearing that from a man who runs a multi million dollar company, made an impact on all of the people who were in that class. These are advices that are very valuable, and should definitely be used. Hard work also plays a huge role. Coming to our high school around 7 am, and leaving around 3pm, afterwards, he would go to his job as an appliance installer/ technician and would also work there. As he has told us numerous times, don't chase money, if you go to a job that you hate, at the end of the day you won't be happy, even though you get paid to do it. In Mr. Fedorkos case, he loved teaching, working with students and he also enjoyed working with appliance, so he did both. He was doing well for himself, he had a beautiful house, and a very nice car, as well as going on very nice vacations, which he would sometimes share the pictures of with us.

Personally for me a college degree is more than just a fancy looking paper with my name on it, and the school that I graduated from, Quinnipiac University. Hard work, determination and a bright future is what it really means to me. Growing up in a family of immigrants from Russia, neither my mom or dad have a college degree. Actually, my mom is currently 39 and she is attending college to get a degree, so she can become an RN. My dad own a construction company, his company does jobs like siding, window and door installation and replacements. Coming home everyday, he tells us how his day was, what job he did. Most of the time after that talk, he says something like, “ Nikita get a college degree, so you won't have to work like me, out in the cold of the winter or the blazing heat of the summer”. Yes, he makes good money, but money is not the only thing that life is about. College gets tough at times, with multiple exams in one week, or having to write multiple page papers for a class. One thing I took away from doing my research, talking to my teacher Mr. Fedorko and my father's life is, a college degree is crucial. It will require a lot of dedication, nights when you stay up studying for an exam or writing an essay, but over all, a college degree will give you a chance for a bright future ahead. No matter what job you apply for, everyone is looking for a degree. Not only does it show that you have completed 4 years of college or university, but also, that you are able to learn and utilize that knowledge in a specific job or field of interest. All in all, getting a degree is not easy, but, nothing in life comes easy, hard work and dedication is what helps to achieve great things in life.