Like many people, you may have thought your life plan involved going to college and pursuing a degree, graduating, getting a nice job, contributing to the welfare of your community and family, or advancing your life status. However, as you grow older and get to the end of finishing idea of getting a degree does not seem that exciting any longer. College degrees are becoming a point of contention for many students and parents alike. With the rising cost of education every year and the use of that degree in the job market, more people are wondering why they should even go to college in the first place.
The increasing number of individuals you see involves some being college dropouts or not attending college in the first place. Among the rising questions is why college is overrated for many people, in direct opposition to what society deems as okay, or maybe the rising tide that college generally sucks – at least for some people. Costs of learning Let us be honest with ourselves: college tuition fees are not a walk in the park. America, in particular, has an increasing frequency of students with very high student debts from loans they have accumulated while still in school, which becomes a burden to pay. The average cost for an in-state public university student is almost $18,000 annually.
The students who go to an out-of-state college or public university accrue $29,000, while for private university students, it comes to $37,000. The tuition fee covers all student costs, including accommodation, transport, books, and other miscellaneous expenses. Now multiply this cost by the years your degree takes, and you will get the total amount you should pay back. The sad thing is even though these schools will offer scholarships and grants, these can only cover so much – maybe between 5 and 10% of your total fee. These grants do not go to all students; only a maximum of half of the student body in your school. What is the conclusion here? Tuition fees cost so much money. Your debt after your degree
Do you think you know a life full of debt? Think again. Your tuition fees every year, multiplied by the number of years you are in school, give you a debt load that you can find very difficult to repay. Just imagine that you have secured your first job after your degree. Almost all the money from your salary will pay your student loans every month (depending on how many loans you had), plus interest that you did not even pay during your college stay – yeah, that prospect does not sound exciting. Unsurprisingly, many college graduates work several jobs to pay the bills since the money left from their salary is insufficient to cover basic needs.
Many realize that the final picture is gruesome once it is consolidated. You will not even be able to move out of your home, get your first car, or make any major life decisions – all because of nagging student debts. Some of your working years are lost. A common thought from the study results reveals a well-known truth – that high school graduates spend their full time working while college students are in class. You never know the value of work experience until you go out looking for a job. For instance, as you get your degree, your friend works as a waiter in a restaurant, then takes two years of hard work and becomes a manager. Within this time, you are simply accumulating loans and not working, and even when applying for a job, your friend has a higher chance of getting hired due to their working history. Remember, at the end of the day, academic degrees and credentials can only take you so far, and skills often matter much more. Retirement options are more when you do not attend college.
The sad reality for most of us is you rarely have the money to afford your tuition fees upfront since you most likely come from a middle-class or lower-class family. However, college loans promise to give you the best education at subsidized rates, but do they? Think about it: what if you decide not to go to college and instead use that money you could have spent on tuition fees to invest in a retirement fund, at least immediately after you finish high school? You can source this money by looking for a job – no matter how small it may seem – and open a savings account. Even if you graduate with a prestigious degree, the chances of catching up to someone who started saving their money early are more difficult than it looks – all because of student debts that you must pay.
The high school graduate may earn less than you every month, but they have more money in retirement. There are many cases of college dropouts. What is the worst thing that can happen to a student? Ending up as a school dropout. In reality, this is what happens, and it is at higher rates than you think, with many turning to other activities to get by. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/local-rehab-resources/colorado/littleton/ In fact, statistics reveal that 50% of college students will not finish their degree. When you are a student who depends on loans and student grants to go to school, your plans can be a major setback. Until the school system undergoes major changes, you will ask why you need to spend that much money to fail at the end of it all. Final thoughts: Going to college is an agonizing decision you should not take lightly. You also need to remember that degrees are not the only way to succeed, and you can explore other options if college is not viable.
