Post-secondary education is a monetary exchange like any other.
Colleges offer an education (along with room and board in many instances) and a degree in exchange for some price. Students are free to accept or decline this offer for themselves.
The true problem is not the price of college, which changes expectedly with the supply and demand for college degrees.
The true problem is that our society imprints the idea into all young people that college is the only path for them. This, of course, skyrockets the demand for college degrees and allows colleges to charge a premium.
There are many paths available to kids fresh out of high school, and in a world where skills are becoming ever more valuable than degrees, college should be less appealing.
Unfortunately, most of these kids follow the path of least resistance. Conditioned to do so from an early age, they go into whatever debt necessary to attend whatever school will have them, and often without a clear idea of how they will use their promised degree to achieve success later in life.
I’m not saying that college is a scam. Some people, with a clear vision of their future and how they will use their degree (and who won’t go into financial ruin before then) have a valid reason for attending college.
I am saying that you should at least consider your alternatives.
If you think college is too expensive for what it offers you (i.e. if their offer is unfair), decline the offer, don’t go to college, and forge your own path.
Instead of paying off student loan debt, why don't they make schools charge less?
comments
as someone in college rn, i agree w this absolutely!! its WAY too big of a decision to just make in senior year when youre faced with it
personally i made the decision last minute and didnt regret it because i was privileged enough to be able to afford tuition at an awesome place close to home and already had a general idea of what i wanted to do, but out-of-state and international tuition at the same school are INSANE and i would not recommend making such a snap decision if you havent considered other options
if youre in high school or younger, apply for all the financial aid you can and try out community college to knock out general ed credits first and avoid paying more tuition for tech and textbook fees if you do decide to attend university, visit trade schools, take online certification tests, network w/ professionals and ask them for career advice, consider interning with local organizations who specialize in the field you wanna work in - it buffs your college application by a ton and shows you actually care abt the subject you want to study
y’all bound for college oughta pay attention to this last paragraph ^
ally knows
As a current college sophomore, this is an extremely based take and I respect it highly.
I am still unsure about whether or not to go to college personally. But I have like 3 years to decide
If you ever decide to go to college, just make sure you know why you’re doing it