There used to be a time when getting a college degree was considered the only path to a secure and stable life. However, it’s not the case now. We are living in an era of dropouts like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg, who proved the world wrong by becoming some of the most successful people on this planet. Let’s see Is College A Waste Of Time.
The stories of these personalities make us wonder if college is a necessity or a mere waste of time. In this article, we will try to quell this baffling question that must be arising in your mind: Is college really worth your time?
Why Isn’t College Worth It?
- College doesn’t guarantee jobs
Long gone is the time when a college degree meant an assured white-collar job. With today’s cut-throat competition, the race for a job has become tougher than ever. Adding to that is the massive burden of debt under which a graduate gets trapped. College is expensive and students, thinking they would land a high-paying job, take up huge loans. It is the only reality of a graduate: Unemployment and massive debts- a combination that everyone fears.
- College is time-consuming
A usual degree takes around three to five years, consuming most of your youth life. For some students with troubled financial conditions, waiting this long before starting to earn for their families is not possible. Additionally, you might feel that spending these many years just to gain theoretical knowledge about one field is senseless when you can use that time to learn a hundred different skills outside the college.
- College equals unnecessary workload and stress
You might think that college life is a beautiful phase where you get to interact with people and gain a deeper insight into your preferred field, but the reality is far from it. College life is mostly about stressing out about the coming examinations, assignments, and deadlines. One of the worst things about college is assignments that are nothing but copying content from Google and pasting it into some simpler words. The futile these assignments are, the more hours they take out of your day. Amidst all this stress and frenzy, you may begin feeling burnt out and detached from your goals.
- There are better alternatives available
As I told you before, attending college is no longer a prerequisite for quality and high-paying job. There are various alternatives that will get you the same (or even better) learning experience that a college has to offer. So, if you have options available, it makes no sense to spend a good fortune of your money by choosing a college.
Alternatives To College Experience:
The question as to whether colleges are a waste of time or not is very subjective. And if you somewhat feel they are, you might be wondering what all things you can do to keep yourself at par with college-goers. Well, when one door gets closed, a hundred others lay open before you. Following are a few of these doors which you can take to get yourself to your desired destination:
- Online courses-
The curriculum of most colleges is highly outdated, and you may feel what you are learning now in college won’t add any value to your life in the future. And even if the curriculum is decent, you might not wish to rack your brain on the same thing for years. In such cases where you are willing to learn but not in college, you can consider pursuing some online course. It is a much cheaper alternative than college and allows you to learn at your own pace.
- Entrepreneurship
If you have a business idea and are waiting for graduation to execute it, hear me out! Don’t wait! Youth is the perfect time for you to take risks. You can go all creative without worrying about its consequences. Additionally, Business is one such career that doesn’t require you to possess a degree. And college can’t teach you a thing about entrepreneurship, not really!
- Become a Traveler
If the idea of gauging unexplored places excites you, you can consider building a career out of traveling. Even if you don’t want to become a professional at it, traveling will teach you things that college will never.
- Internships
Doing internships will give you hands-on experience in the field you want to work. When you start your job, the only thing that will matter there will be your practical knowledge and expertise, not your degree.
Conclusion
College is certainly a great place to build relationships, make friends and ponder upon your future. But, one can’t deny that college is also a luxury that not everyone can afford. That doesn’t at all means that people who don’t go to college can’t be successful. Let’s admit that college is overhyped for the things that college teaches, you can learn that even outside. And there’s a benefit of learning it outside: Less expensive, more time left for your hobbies, etc. Now, you have to decide which path to choose- the conventional one or the one with more benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How would I know if college is for me or not?
To answer this question, you need to weigh a lot of factors like:
- Is your college providing you with the subjects that interest you and will add some value to your future?
- What is the cost of the degree and is it justifiable?
- What is the opportunity cost of continuing with college?
- What other alternatives to college do you have?
- Are college graduates better off than non-graduates?
A popular misconception among people is that college graduates will always turn out to be more successful than non-graduates. Your future can’t be dictated by a degree, but by your hard work and dedication. If this misconception had been correct, we would never have personalities like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg among us.
