To some people, the thought of having to grow up and go to a college scares them. To others, it’s exciting to think about the new adventures that wait for them in college. Education is always needed in order to learn and develop into society, whether that be through school or experience. But what students don’t hear a lot is why pursuing a higher level of education is always pushed to the younger generation. Many think it is to deepen the students’ knowledge and see how far they can go. More specifically, college can give students a new picture of what life is, to let them experience what it is like to be on their own.
Colleges and universities can be a great new start for young people who are eager to learn. It provides numerous classes for students to prepare for their future and grow into adults. Riley Ries, Klayton Pierce, and Maddux Dy all agree with this argument in their own words.
“I think colleges purpose is to catapult hardworking students into better career opportunities and open more doors for careers that might not be open to someone who doesn’t go to college,” said Pierce, “College allows hard working students to get a degree that they can show to employers and that degree will give them a better chance of getting hired.”
It can also be an opportunity to allow a student find what they’re good at and put that into good use for the future.
“I feel like the purpose of it is to strengthen and learn skills in the field that you want to go in. Just to give information that will send on the path to success instead of you just having to learn everything for yourself and just being thrown into it, “said Ries.
This higher level of education can also prepare students for jobs and the career they have been working towards. It could also create a new spark and help others find another passion.
“I think that the overall purpose is to get people ready for the real world and to make sure that people do good in the future. And it also helps people get the jobs that they want,” said Dy.
Not only does college help students learn academically, but it can also teach students things that they can’t learn in high school. Things like paying rent or living independently are valuable skills that can be learned in college.
“College also teaches you to be independent of your parents if you move on campus, and you learn to share a living space with someone. You learn how to take care of yourself and how to be cooperative with people without your parents,” said Pierce.
Yet, students still must face many challenges along the path of success. One huge problem that is very evident today is money. Some aren’t as fortunate as others and may have a lot more to offer then ones who have the money, but still can’t get it in due to tuition.
“I think it’s super high and it is raising each year and a lot of people that want to attend college can’t because they don’t have the money for it,” said Dy.
Another problem is that a lot of the work in colleges and universities is very difficult and can bring students down when they don’t pass a class.
“It’s just like a fast pass at an amusement park to a better career, but you have to wait 4 years and work extremely hard,” said Pierce.
There are many pros and cons to what the true purpose of higher education is. What is evident is that the main reason college is deemed to be so important is because it can help new students and young people learn and grow to become ready for the start of a new chapter in their lives.
Alivia Roach // Staff Writer
