Is college a lifelong investment, or an overpriced bragging right? With tuition costs rising in many areas and job opportunities scarce at best, some students might ask: “What’s college worth anyway?”
Earlier this week, The New York Times Magazine asked 18 high school seniors where they thought they’d be in 10 years and shared their answers through photos and audio clips. Shauna Casale plans to pursue acting. Andrea Patterson wants the Army to pay for her veterinarian training. Those thick admissions letters (and thin rejections) are pouring into the mailboxes of college hopefuls this spring, and fates – in many cases – are being decided.
Several of the interviewed teens expressed a desire to be on their own – not necessarily a need to flee their families (although the subtext could be implied) – but rather, the chance to embrace their independence and experience the allure of adulthood. 17-year-old Nathan Rebelo said he simply wants to, “…be who I want to be without…the judgment of high school.”
While students like Jana Tran would be happy being “financially stable,” others like Andrew Benedict-Philipp say if there were a button that said ‘wealthy’ or ‘not wealthy’ he “would pick the ‘wealthy.’” Even though he has no idea who he wants to be when he grows up, his goal is pretty tough to argue.
Zach Peterson’s plans were driven by a lifelong fascination of science and the influence of his high school Biology teacher. Recently introduced to a path of disease prevention and the pursuit of cures for terminal illnesses, Zach now hopes to one day be a microbiologist. As he watches his grandmother battle breast cancer, the desire is only compounded. “…you have this person that you love in your life and, you know, they’re slowly being taken away from you and you can’t do anything about it,” he says, “…or, at least, not at the moment.”
When a teacher can inspire a student to follow in his or her footsteps, the value of education is clear. Damian Dumas, 18, describes his high school counselor as “cool” and someone he felt comfortable confiding in during a difficult time. When his mom had a heart attack two years ago, his counselor was there to listen. “Basically, she cared,” he said, matter-of-factly. And that’s when he knew that he wanted to become a school counselor.
Our country’s collective student loan debt is nearly $900 billion. On the upside, college graduates generally make at least 10% more than their degreeless counterparts. Does one outweigh the other? Perhaps the real question is: Do we value the worth of our efforts – or more importantly, our worth as individuals – by financial gains alone?
I will confess – my B.A. and M.F.A. have buried me in a mountain of debt (I’ll tell you how much for somewhere in the ballpark of $100K). Even though I’m probably not on the brink of a Bill Gates breakthrough, and I haven’t won the lottery yet (fingers crossed), I still wouldn’t trade my education for anything.
My conclusion: college is more than a certificate of employability, and it’s even more than gaining invaluable knowledge from brilliant minds. It’s a precious time and place where young people have the opportunity to grow and explore how they want to spend the rest of their lives. A college course or club today can lead to a newfound passion and career tomorrow.
Albeit challenging and expensive, college may best be approached as a “haven” and a stopover before hitting the big bad world of the 9-5, utility bills and mortgage payments. And it sure is nice to spend that time with positive, supportive adults who act as our guides, teachers and confidantes.
There are many roads that lead to a college degree. But I think as soon as we start valuing what we learn in and out of the classroom as much as we value our paychecks, the “what’s college worth anyway?” question will be much easier to answer.
Wendy Wegner is editor of educational content for 1 On 1 Academic Tutors in Los Angeles. Visit her on the Web at www.wendywegner.com.
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