Higher Education: Making the Right Choice

          Most people have heard the infamous saying: “money can’t buy happiness.” This is most frequently true, considering feelings versus materialistic objects, but can money buy a fulfilling career? There is not a single correct answer to this question, and this is a struggle for analytical people such as myself. A four year university is an expensive route to take, but can indeed lead to a fulfilling career. It is not just that simple, however. Determining if a higher education is worth the cost involves a complex equation with several variables. Although supporters of higher education believe that anyone and everyone should go to and experience a four year university, it is only of value to a select group of people who possess natural intellectualism, motivation, and have an academic interest in a career with promising job prospects that can support their college loan debt. For people on the outside of this whirlwind of confusion and criteria, other options are more fulfilling.

            Motivation and natural born intellectualism are the main points to consider in determining if one should attend a four year university. There are three types of people in the world. One group is highly motivated but not academically inclined. The next group is intellectually sound, but lacks motivation. The last group of people excels, being both highly academic and motivated.  In order to attend a four year university, it is essential to be in this last group. You must have both the mental capability and capacity to do the work. The mental capability represents being an intellectual, and having the capacity means being motivated enough to get your work done and last the duration of the four years. Charles Murray describes in his essay “Are Too Many People Going to College?” that students in the top percentiles are the ones who should attend a four year university because they are good at understanding “complex intellectual material,” and because of this, it is enjoyable for them (227). This is important to consider because students who enjoy what they are doing are more likely to succeed and stay motivated. The natural born intellectualism and motivation combined are the qualities a student must have to attend a four year university.

            Upon meeting the above criteria, the next step in determining if a four year university is right for you is examining your career interest. To begin, if you do not have a career interest, a four year university is not the right place for at this time. It would be of more value to you to spend some time figuring out what you are most interested in, whether it is by researching, gaining on the job experience, or talking to a career counselor. Moving on, it is important to research the job prospects of the career that you are interested in. This is important because getting a bachelor’s degree doesn’t guarantee you a job in your area of academic interest. You don’t want to pay tens of thousands of dollars for your degree just to end up working as a cashier at Wal-Mart. That brings me to my next point: manageable debt. It is especially important to research the salary of your career of interest as well as tuition at a four year university in order to determine if your college debt will be manageable to pay with your starting salary at your job after college. Robin Wilson writes in his essay “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely,” that “higher debt makes sense for people who earn degrees in law, business and medicine because they are much more capable of landing high-paying jobs and paying off larger loans” (259). Researching the job outlook of your academic interest and surveying the amount of debt you would be able to manage are key steps in determining if you should go to a four year university.

There are other options for life after high school besides going to a four year university, and other options have the potential to be more fulfilling to people who do not fit into the criteria that has been previously discussed. Other options include a technical institute, community college, going directly into a career, and other certificate oriented careers. Technical school would be more favorable to those who prefer to work with their hands. A community college would be favorable to those who are interested in a career

where having an associate’s degree meets the job requirement. Additionally, going to a community college can be a less expensive place to experience college and see if you will be able to make it at a four year university. According to Richard Fonte, author of “The Community College Alternative,” community colleges offer freshman and sophomore level classes that can affordably transfer to a four year university (420). There are a wide range of opportunities for life after high school; upon not meeting the criteria to attend a four year university, which was previously discussed, the other options should be explored.

Impacting my own life, a four year university was the right choice for me. I meet the criteria. I have always been intellectual and motivated throughout high school, and know I can continue throughout four years of college. Additionally, I plan to be a pharmacist which has a very good job outlook and good pay that makes the debt from pharmacy school manageable. I know that it is what I want to do and what will make me most happy. Because I meet the criteria, pursuing a higher education is definitely worth it for me; it is worth the time, money, and effort. It is essential for everyone to consider this complex equation before making a decision regarding what to do with your life after high school. Money can buy you a degree if you possess the initial qualities to make it through college, but that doesn’t mean that the four year degree will give everyone happiness in their careers. I invite you to access yourself before determining if you are making the right choice.

 

For more information and a quiz to determine what type of career would be of the most interest to you, visit the following link: http://joboutlook.gov.au/careerquiz.aspx .

Works Cited

Fonte, Richard. "The Community College Alternative." Academic Questions 24.4 (2011): 419-428. EBSCO MegaFILE. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst, eds. “They Say/I Say”:The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing: With Readings. 2^nd ed.  New York: Norton, 2012. Print.

Murray, Charles. “Are Too Many People Going to College?”. Graff, Birkenstein, and Durst 222-42. Print.

Wilson, Robin. “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely.” Graff, Birkenstein, and Durst 256-72. Print.