Theriault 1

Dallin Theriault

Mrs. Jackie Burr

English 2010

19 April 2018

The Crushing Teenage Decision

For many kids, the only thing they have ever known in life is school. They start

eager to learn in kindergarten, which exponentially disappears the older they get.

Begrudgingly making their way through Primary and then Secondary school, they have

their eyes set on the day when it will all end. This day of course being their high school

graduation. The moment finally comes, and they’ve made it through the endless hours

of homework, the all too often boring lectures, and the burden of growing up; now they

can finally be done. Well, not quite. For most, the biggest and arguably hardest choice

still remains. Will they leave the torment of school in the past, or will they throw

themselves back in the wringer and continue on to a higher college education. The

weight this decision has on a student’s life is crushing. One choice determines how they

will spend the next several years of their life. If only it were as easy as playing the

classic board game, where the only thing on the line in the choice between career and

college is bragging rights. Many things factor into this all too important decision, like

future pay after a degree, and how much debt you will take on. In general, our society

displays college as a must, as teachers and schools always teach their students of the

necessities of college, leaving them thinking to themselves, ”Is a College Education

really worth the money spent and education earned?”While college may scare students
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away with thoughts of debt, it is proven that those with a college education have more

opportunities to be hired and receive higher pay, while also learning other valuable life

skills along the way.

Teachers and society in general aren’t wrong in encouraging students to attend

college, as there are many benefits students get from receiving a degree. It becomes

increasingly important as time goes on, as more and more jobs require one to get hired.

According to a study done by Georgetown University, 63 percent of jobs will require at

least some college education or a degree (Carnevale et al. 1). That is a vast majority. At

that point, there are only 37% jobs left that to apply for. Even then, one might not secure

one of these jobs, as others with a college education may choose some of the only jobs

left to book, leaving nothing but the jobs one would expect a teenager to have in high

school. Maybe that’s a little far fetched but how often is an adult seen working in fast

food restaurants? John Schmitt and Janelle Jones of the Economic and Policy

Research in Washington D.C. Have found that only 30% of fast food workers are

teenagers (1). I doubt many of those adults have a college degree. Not only does not

having a degree affect getting hired, but pay as well, as one can come to the conclusion

that with a degree you are able to get higher paying jobs. Through studies conducted by

the U.S. Census Bureau, it was found that, “The average earnings in 2016 for those

ages 25 and older whose highest educational attainment was high school were

$35,615. The average earnings for those with a bachelor’s degree were $65,482

compared with $92,525 for those with an advanced degree” (Highest Education Levels).

The difference isn’t minimal, but a healthy $30,000 dollar gap.

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Still, the biggest argument against a college education is the cost associated with

it. The risk of getting in debt is frightening for many students, as it can be a challenging

thing to pay off, and most people end up with debt as well. The Institute for College

Access and Success, found that,” Seven in 10 seniors (69%) who graduated from public

and nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debt, with an average of $28,950 per

borrower” (Project on Student Debt). That amount of debt is enough to make any kid

sweat buckets. This combated with fears of not graduating, meaning tons of debt for no

reason, giving up a comfortable lifestyle, the general difficulty level of college, and the

chances of not even securing a job with the newly earned degree, has been stirring

many people to stay away from college. So yes, financially college may be seen as a

disaster instead of an assistor, however looking at it in the long run, the increased

earnings brought by a degree will outweigh the costs of college in the long run.

Apparently many students still don’t see the advantages. James B. Still and Lance

Williams found that 42 million americans owe a total of 1.3 trillion dollars in debt, and

that 45% of people with college debt contain opinions that college isn’t worth it (para in.

Student Debt). Having so many people viewing college negatively gives high schoolers

a negative view right off the bat, putting them off before they have the opportunity to

learn the many benefits that do come from college. While the initial cost is alarming, the

money you make afterwards well beats that without. In the US Bureau of Labor

Statistics Monthly Labor Review, Eleni Karageorge stated, “Assuming that all workers

retire at age 65 and that those who went to college spent 4 years in school to earn a

bachelor’s degree or 2 years for an associate’s degree, workers with a bachelor’s

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degree earn well over $1 million more than high school graduates during their working

lives” (1). Over 1 million dollars in their lives is a lot of money. Now that compared to the

money taken for a college education is miniscule. Karageorge even mentions that those

with an Associate gain $325,00 more than high school graduates. There are people who

have gotten Associate Degrees for under $2,000, so to say that the extra $2,000 isn’t

worth the extra $323,000 dollars is outrageous.

There are also many other reasons for joining college that don’t do with monetary

values at all, but just life in general. The only thing most kids here about is how their

teachers, or friends lived on Ramen for 4 years, in order to make ends meet. When said

that way, it may seem rough, but they leave out so many wonderful things about the

preparation college life gives people. College life consists with many interactions, like

interacting with professors, student collaborations, and the many opportunities to join

student clubs and organizations. A 1994 survey of 11,000 students found that,

”Students ranked "interpersonal skills" as the most important skill used in their daily

lives” (qtd. In Is a College Education Worth it). The only way to learn interpersonal skills,

is through interacting with others. Those that don’t go to college may not have the

opportunity to get good at conversation, which in turn makes it even harder to be

successful. Not only do they socially improve, but become more adept to help society

improve as well. Henry Bienen, previous assistant professor at Princeton, and current

President of Northwestern University exclaims that through college students, “society

benefits through greater productivity, lower crime, better health, [and] better citizenship

for more educated people" (qtd in Too Many Kids Go To College). It is those life lessons
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that help the individual become a better person, that most benefit them in college and

life beyond. Sure there is much more money to be earned, but there is also a big gain in

character as well.

If students want to set themselves up for a successful life, college is the way to

go. College provides more opportunities for jobs, and higher pay, while giving students

life experiences that benefit the individual and those around them. Randall

Kammerman, a High School Teacher at Herriman High School who also teaches

college courses, says that he would not be where he is without his college education.

The truth is in the facts. As Kammerman says,” study after study show that the more

education you have the more

money you make.” When put

all together (as seen on the

left), it is obvious how

beneficial a college education

is in the long run. Debt can

definitely be scary however,

the benefits of college can

help students face that fear

with their heads held high,

looking off towards a brighter

future.
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Works Cited

Abel, Jaison R. and Richard Deitz. "Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the

Costs?." Current Issues in Economics & Finance, vol. 20, no. 3, Mar. 2014, pp.

1-12.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=96

880995&site=ehost-live.

Carnevale et al. ”Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements

Through 2018.” June 2010, georgetown.edu, Accessed 13 April 2018.

“Educational Attainment in the United States, 2016.”​ US Census Bureau, ​March 2017,

census.gov. Accessed 13 April 2018.

“Is a College Education Worth it.” 9 January 2018,college-education.procon.org,

Accessed 13 April 2018

Karageorge, Eleni. "Is a College Degree Still Worth It?." Monthly Labor Review, Nov.

2014, p. 1. EBSCOhostsearch.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=

true&db=buh&AN=99888582&site=ehost-live.

Kammerman, Randall. Personal interview. 17 April 2018

“Project of Student Debt: State by State Data 2015.” ​The Institute for College Access

and Success, ​ticas.org. Accessed 13 April 2018.

Schmitt, John, and Janelle Jones. “Slow Progress for Fast-Food Workers.” ​Center for

Economic and Policy Research, ​August 2013

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US Census Bureau, "Educational Attainment in the United States, 2016,"

census.gov, Mar. 2017

Still, James B. and Lance Williams. “Student Debt Lives On Hold.” ​Consumer Reports,

​28 June 2016, consumerreports.org, Accessed 13 April 2018.

“Yes, "Too Many Kids Go to College" in First-Ever Chicago Intelligence Squared U.S.

Debate.” ​Nasdaq, ​13 October 2011, globenewswire.com, Accessed April 17 2018