Is College Still Worth The Cost

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

I have to say as someone who’s a month away from receiving a college degree from a very reputable university I’m not sure I would have gone to college if I had known what I know now, when I was an 18 year old senior.  Times have definitely changed and I have come to believe if your going to go to college you should really evaluate why your going before making such a costly decision?

College Is Not The Answer To Financial Success

When I was a Senior in high school I was under the impression that going to college would be the solution to my financial success as an adult.  Having come from a low income family I was taught that getting a college degree would bring me the happiness, security, and means to live a comfortable life.  I never took a step back to take a look at the lives of all who went to college before me and analyze the typical college graduates standard of living.

Now when I take a step back and really look at the lifestyle that most people with a degree live, the thought of me living the same way makes me a little sick.  If getting a degree meant working 40-60 hours a week, for 40 to 50 years, with little to no control of my income I would have never gone.  If the thought had ever occurred to me when I was a very naive high school student that I would owe thousands of dollars in loans in hopes of getting a job that I probably didn’t want, I don’t think I would have gone.  This is not the case for everyone though.

If your going to go to college and you don’t have the money to outright pay for it you may want to think about your decision.  If on the other hand you have parents who happen to be financially equipped to pay for it and you don’t have to take out loans it might be a different story.  But even in this case all your probably paying for is a good social experience, ability to meet different people, and have the on campus college experience away from  home which is fine I suppose.  But if your reason for going is to be financially free, control your time, and have an awesome quality of life.  This probably isn’t the solution for you.  Not everyone wants these things so if you don’t then these factors shouldn’t play a role in your decision.

College May Not Be Worth the Investment

Most jobs won’t ever get you there.  Just take a look at some “successful graduates” and ask yourself if you would want to be in their shoes.  9 out of 10 times I am willing to bet you’d rather not.

Your better off taking the money and investing in the proper training to learn the proper skills that formal education does not teach.  In most cases investing in yourself to possess the proper skills to own your own business will be priceless.  Having these abilities will prevent you from becoming dependent on any company or government, but instead will equip you with truly being able to write your own check.  

Pick something you like whether it be fishing, clothing, sports, or just about any other topic your interested in and start your own business.  You can turn just about any interest into a profitable business especially with the proper knowledge of the internet.  It won’t take 4 years or nearly as much money as a college degree.

You will be able to control your time, your income, and never have to fall victim to getting laid off or fired.

College May Be a Thing of The Past

Thousands of people are becoming aware of the fact that times have changed and getting a college degree may have been the route to go in the past, but it’s probably best at most as a back up plan.  Like way back.  If of course you’d like to be a doctor or a lawyer then you have no choice, but in most cases this is not the case.  But for the vast majority don’t be mad if you find that you spent several thousand dollars and it didn’t turn out to exceed or even live up to your expectations.

What can I say?  I’m not saying it’s the wrong thing to do I’m saying really think of what you expect from going and really ask yourself if attending college will provide what you are trying to accomplish. That’s all.

Change is good.  You can’t control it you can move with the tide or try to fight it.  It’s totally up to you. We now live in the age of the entrepreneur and if you do go to college just make sure you go for the right reasons.  There’s nothing wrong with going, just understand that most go for the wrong reasons.