"Even as children, teachers, schools, higher education institutions and the government drill into us that we must get an education. We must get that education to get a good job, to be successful and to be respected. Our resumes should include at least a bachelor's degree. We are constantly reminded that if we do not go to college and get an education, we will fail at life, we will not even be considered by employers, much less get a job.
But who makes these requirements? Who sets these standards? The higher education institutions and government have convinced the general public that we have to get this education. They have created a social standard for "necessary education." This standard is so engrained, it doesn't even occur to most of us to ask these questions. Who loans us the money to pay the bill? The higher education institutions and the government. To whom do we owe money to after "the best four years of our lives?" The usual suspects.
After I graduate and have my degree, I will start a job that will probably require on-the-job training for six months and up to a year. Wait, why did I go to college again? I will most likely start in a job with low pay and little benefits. But besides paying all of life's necessary bills, I will be straddling college loan debt. This is what my education gave me? I want my money back.
My advice to all you high school grads nervous about which college you're getting into, worry less. Maybe college isn't such a good idea.
