Is going to college really necessary to reach a good position in life? Both sides of this debate have many good points to them.

One side of the debate argues that college is not necessary for one to be successful and lead a fulfilling life. They might also argue that success is a matter of opinion, perspective, and experience. The other side of the debate argues that college is necessary for any well paying job and that a degree or more qualifications allow them to have priority over people who did not go to college. 

My personal belief is that going to college is not necessary in order to reach a successful position in life, rather, it’s only another level that people go to in order to reach what they want in life. For example, a job that they want may require specific skills and qualifications that can only be obtained by going to college, but this does not mean that everyone who wants a certain job must go to college. 

Many high school students are under the impression that they must go to college in order to be successful. These expectations are promoted by many schools such as Neuqua, who assume that every student wishes to go to college, and because of this, many students feel unnecessary pressure because they have goals in life that only require completing a certain amount of years in school. 

This pressure stems from other students who do, in fact, wish to go on to college, and therefore compete more intensely for top grades. High school students are, obviously, all encouraged to get their grades up as high as possible, preferably above average (a C), but the usual encouragement behind this is getting into a good college, since colleges look at GPA and scores, but it is never taken into consideration that there are kids who don’t want to attend college. 

Societal expectations have been set in order to make people look down on those who do not attend college, despite their happiness or position in life. There are also multiple reasons why one might not go to college. They could be having financial issues, familial issues, or other important issues that they must prioritize over their education. Despite the  financial aid that colleges can offer to people who are struggling, it might not cover everything, and all those who apply may not receive it.

Even so, many people who decide to not go to college by choice do so to find their calling in life, and college may not include it. Going to college is not necessary for those who wish to pursue a career that does not require a degree, which should be further accepted and acknowledged in society. There is no use in going to college for however many years when it is not required for the career or life that someone wants to pursue.