Life After High School

It’s that time of year again for high school seniors to finally become adults. While some may be heading off to college, others are diving into the world looking to start careers and make a living.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that 82 percent of high school students graduated and of those students, about 64 percent enrolled into either a two-year or four-year college.

For those who are not going to college directly after their senior year, many of them are not prepared for life after high school. According to Slate, high school students are graduating at a higher rate than ever before but only about eight percent of students take courses that prepare them for careers and life after high school.

“Not everyone wants a job that requires going to college and majoring in something they don’t want to.

— Arslan Polani

College isn’t for everyone. Yes, having a degree looks good on a resume but at the same time, not everyone wants a job that requires going to college and majoring in something they don’t want to. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded a study which found people with degrees make more than those who either stop education after high school or drop out of college, but not all degrees pay off. The costs of university tuitions sometimes outweigh the benefits of the career that comes with it.

It may seem like every large corporation requires employees to have degrees that are relevant to business but that’s not the case. Companies such as the tech firm IBM are beginning to hire people that skip college and want to begin their careers immediately.

The greatest factor in deciding college would be the skills someone wants to develop. Sometimes, it may be quicker to learn through working but other professions require lots of training and learning through schooling to be perfected. Someone who wants to be a cook doesn’t need to earn a degree when it may be more affordable and faster to go through short-term career prep programs. On the other hand, someone aspiring to be a doctor requires a Ph.D. and years of learning.

Regardless, the choice of college is very important. Investing in a college education can go both ways, either it’s a hit or a miss.