The Benefits of College

        College can be very demanding and grueling. Even so, the benefits, more often than not, outweigh the arduous endeavor. College will prepare you for your life in the working industry, as pre-k prepares you for elementary, and middle school prepares you for high school. It also opens up windows of opportunity, along with the fact that many jobs require a college degree. On many occasions, the higher the degree, the higher the pay. There’s an abundance of reasons as to why you should go to college.

        As was stated in the previous paragraph, college is intended to prepare you for a career. According to Mariya Greeley, a writer for U.S. News who specializes in college-related articles, many universities are “revamping career services programs and curriculum,” and offering more chances to experience a real-life job. Colleges such as Stanford and ASU offer co-op programs. These programs have students swap from fieldwork and classroom learning in between semesters. Colleges also offer internships, which, as is gathered from data taken by NACE members, had full-time offers from more than 70% of jobs in 2019. College will enhance your work quality immensely.

        Many people argue that the debt accumulated from college is overwhelming, and according to Abigail J. Hess from CNBC news, “all-consuming” and “a constant uphill battle”. On the contrary, if you acquire a high enough degree, it’s much easier to clear. Jordan Arnold, just 10 months after graduating, paid off his $23,150 debt. He did this by budgeting, working a second job, and paying before interest started to amass (Murphy). Studies from the New York Federation show that college graduates earn 80% more than non-graduates. Bachelor’s degree holders earn around 32k more than those whose highest degrees are high school diplomas. As I stated before, the higher the degree, the higher the pay.

        College provides countless opportunities. That includes more job offers and improvements to your resume. According to Northeastern.edu, college graduates get 57% more job offers than people who didn’t graduate. Another thing is that ⅔ s of jobs require post-secondary education, many of those being higher-paying jobs, such as engineers or doctors. College can bring forth many networking opportunities as well. It gives you a chance to make connections in the working industry, as well as new friends. 

         All things considered, college is valuable and useful for your career. Attending college will provide benefits such as opportunities and higher pay. It also prepares you for a job and, overall, life. The hard work consistently pays off and helps you succeed. 

Works Cited

Greeley, Mariya. “How Colleges Help Students Gear Up for Jobs.” U.S.News, 9 September 2019, https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-09-09/how-colleges-help-students-gear-up-for-jobs. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Hess, Abigail J. “52% of older millennials with student debt say their loans weren't worth it.” CNBC, 8 April 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/older-millennials-with-student-debt-say-their-loans-werent-worth-it.html. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Joubert, Shayna. “Do I Need A College Degree? | Bachelor's Degree Completion.” Northeastern University, 20 June 2018, https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/do-i-need-a-college-degree/. Accessed 30 August 2022.

Murphy, Bill. “How a Millennial Paid Off His Entire Student Loan Debt in 10 Months.” Inc. Magazine, 15 October 2015, https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/how-a-millennial-paid-off-his-entire-student-loan-debt-in-11-months.html. Accessed 1 September 2022.

White, Gillian B. “College Is Worth It, Even With Loans.” The Atlantic, 20 February 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/02/even-with-debt-college-still-pays-off/385668/. Accessed 30 August 2022.