LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Since 1965, it has been mandatory for children to receive an education up to seventeen years of age, however, life after high school varies for all students. Some students venture straight into the workforce or military, others take gap years, do an internship, or go to trade school; but the most popular option for students is to receive a secondary education from a college or university. In 2022, a total of 18 million students were enrolled into a public institution. This number has stayed similar for the past ten years, but is ultimately starting to decrease. The question raised by many is, why is it that college after high school has become the social norm? Although it is encouraged by some peers to go straight into the workforce after high school, it is better to receive a college or secondary education to grow maturity, further a self purpose, and have a pathway to find a career.

With the true college experience, students are left to live without guardians leaving them to care for themselves independently. Most college students experience living in an environment away from home, completing tasks that they may have received assistance from during their high school years. According to The ASCD Committee on Platform of Beliefs, the purpose of an education is to “provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively, and productively in a democratic society.” While high school provides students with a multitude of life skills  such as problem solving, basic reading and math skills, time management, and communication; college exceeds those requirements and provides a further development to adolescents. As stated by Shenzhen Daily, an English-language newspaper publication, “teachers, institutions, and society as a whole must recognize the real purpose of college education, equipping students with the resilience and emotional intelligence required to navigate the complexities of adulthood” (Shenzhen). This statement further shows how college rapidly prepares students for the independence and responsibility of adulthood. During their time in college, students can learn how to properly cook, do laundry or other household chores, leading to a great deal of maturity. While those are all great everyday skills, college offers a greater understanding of networking, time management, and communication. Students are left to grow their personal platform and apply critical thinking to prepare for their future. With the rigorous college classes, students develop proper study habits, teamwork, and leadership. To truly grow and develop at the beginning of adulthood, college is the best option for students after high school. 

Along with growing maturity, receiving a secondary education helps you find your self purpose and set lifelong goals. According to Rachel Sumner, from Cornell University, “college has been described as an ideal context for exploring one’s purpose in life… being in college may increase the options one has to choose from when exploring purpose” (Sumner). She goes on to explain that “in a study with college seniors, over 40 % of participants mentioned a sense of purpose when describing what they learned during their time in college” (Sumner). This advances the belief that college helps you develop a sense of belonging and your role in the universe. Throughout teen years, many adolescents struggle to find their goals and specific purpose in life. Many students try different sports and activities, but never feel a sense of belonging or accomplishment. College has helped with this feeling of loneliness, and given students the platform to express themselves and their diversities. While it may not be found right away, college will show you the way to true relationships and a passion in life. Author Jennifer Schultz, former Minnesota State Representative, released that some of the reasons students go to college is to “know more, have more intellectual interests, be more tolerant of others, and continue to learn through life; have greater self-esteem and self-confidence, which will help you realize how you might make a difference in the world; be more flexible in your views, more future oriented, more willing to appreciate difference of opinion, more interested in political and public affairs, and less prone to criminal activity” (Schultz). This provides reasoning to show how a higher education can encourage adolescents to make a difference in the world. Deciding on a major groups students with similar learning abilities and allows them to master a skill area of their choice. Receiving more information and education can empower younger generations to develop new things, simply by finding their purpose.

While college is great to develop maturity and self ambition, the best part of a secondary education is networking and applying it towards the workforce. Throughout college, students are meeting new people daily. These connections can help locate jobs and create lasting relationships. Jasmine Campos, political science and journalism student, wrote that the American economy is becoming “increasingly dependent on those with higher education degree,” therefore, “universities are financially incentivized to attract and produce students with a degree of any kind regardless of its utility or lack thereof” (Campos). This furthers the point that it is much easier to find a stable job with a college degree or education. In today's society, high school diplomas mean less and less. It is important that students go the extra mile to further their education, in order to find a well paying job. While this is not the case in all jobs, Higher Ed Dive reported that 44% of jobs require a college degree. A secondary education has shown to be the best pathway for students interested in joining the workforce and continuing their journey for personal and professional growth. 

Receiving a secondary education furthers maturity, helps fulfill self establishment, and grows networking for students; however it is not appropriate for all students to receive a level of higher education. As stated earlier, education is mandatory for students up to the age of seventeen. Even with these laws in place, not all students receive a high level of education or use that education to their advantage. While most public schools in America provide students with great staffing and placement to receive an education, not all students will use that to their advantage. Some students skip class, miss assignments, never study, and ease through high school without really trying. While traditional American families value education, not all students are provided with a home life that encourages them to reach their full potential and earn high grades. Without pressure and punishments from peers, students are unmotivated to complete high quality work, therefore throwing away their chance at high intellectual achievement. While these are true points of concern, my point still stands that everyone should work to receive a college degree. Even though it is highly encouraged to receive high grades in high school, even failures can change to receive a degree in college. As we see, a college degree is not overstated. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities published “college graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers whose highest degree is a high school diploma.” They showed that individuals who receive a high school diploma earn an estimated total of $1,600,000 during their lifetime, while individuals who receive a bachelor's degree earn an estimated total of $2,800,000 during their lifetime; overall doubling the others earnings. 

Another struggle within today’s society is the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Inside Higher Ed, a news outlet for the entire higher education community, “COVID-induced distance learning has resulted in a significant increase in failure rates among a host of good to excellent students.” This commentary shows how even the best of students received failing grades during the pandemic. While they were not actively learning in classes, a large sum of students became unmotivated during the time of the pandemic. Returning to school, this unmotivation continued throughout the public school system. Some will argue that students who are not using a free public education to their advantage are those who should not receive a secondary education. People argue that these failure rates will continue and students will not be able to acquire a diploma, ultimately wasting money on the college experience. While it is true that not everyone has high academic abilities, so college is not the path for everyone and some need another form of work. However, my point still stands because students who will positively contribute to the workforce will change their study habits and ultimately develop a strong desire for learning in college. Once getting to college students develop a great deal of maturity which leads them to have a strong academic drive. 

Another issue seen about college is the high cost. The average in-state college tuition is around $27,146 for one academic year. Along with the price you pay for room and board, plus a multitude of added expenses. While this is a deciding factor of where or if many students get to go to college, it shouldn’t be. Students should strive to receive some sort of post primary education. Many scholarships and opportunities are available for students worldwide to make college a more affordable option. If needed, students are also able to take out student loans and later work to pay off these debts. Whether it’s community college or an ivy league college, holding a degree is an accomplishment that will follow you until your elderly years. 

All together, receiving a college education is the strongest force for students to grow maturity, find a self purpose, and have a narrowed pathway to find a career. The outcome of college, such as increased job prospects and an enhanced salary, is worth the investment. College is the best foundation for students that are motivated to learn to build a successful future. 

Works Cited:

Azziz, Ricardo. “How Many People Actually Need a Four-Year Diploma?” Higher Ed Dive, 30 Jan. 2024, www.highereddive.com/news/merger-watch-how-many-people-need-f our-year-degree/705878/#:~:text=In%20agreement%2C%20the%20Burning%20Glass,2017%20to%2044%25%20in%202021. 

Campos, Jasmine. "Reimagining Higher Education." Pepperdine Policy Review, vol. 16, no. 1, 2024, pp. 1-22. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/reimagining-higher- education/docview/3059964218/se-2.

Hanson, Melanie, and Fact Checked. “Average Cost of College [2024]: Yearly Tuition + Expenses.” Education Data Initiative, 28 May 2024, educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college. 

“How Does a College Degree Improve Graduates’ Employment and Earnings Potential?” APLU, 31 July 2024, www.aplu.org/our-work/4-policy-and-advocacy/publicuvalues/employment-earnings/. 

“Inside Higher Ed: Higher Education News, Events and Jobs.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs, www.insidehighered.com/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024. 

Schultz, Jennifer L. "Purpose of College: Integrative Literature Review." Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, vol. 24, no. 2, 2008, pp. 68-76. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/purpose-college-integrative-literature-review/docview/217770583/se-2.

Shenzhen, China. "The purpose of college education." Shenzhen Daily, Jan 08, 2024. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/purpose-college-education/docview/2911785126/se-2.

Sumner, Rachel. "More Education, More Purpose in Life? A Comparison of Purpose Across Adults with Different Levels of Education." Applied Research in Quality of Life, vol. 12, no. 1, 2017, pp. 17-34. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/more-educatio n-purpose-life-comparison-across/docview/2918647405/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11482-016-9448-9.

What Is the Purpose of Education?, files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_update/eu201207_infographic.pdf. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.