Reeling in Research

In modern society, attending a four-year university after high school in hopes of increasing the chances of a better future has become a norm. Students are expected to go to college by their peers, parents and eventually themselves. Growing up, we are taught that without that piece of paper they give you after you’ve dotted all your Is and crossed all your Ts for four years, we can never be successful. The article, The College Bubble by Megan McArdle, an economic journalist, explains that college students start wondering if going to school is worth it and start forgetting why they are going at all. In The Passion Project by Skye Ontiveros, students talk about how their peers and parents make them go to college for reasons that have little to nothing to do with what they are passionate about. I believe that unless you are going to college for yourself and because you truly want to learn, then going to college is not worth the money.
Questioning the value of higher education is something that no one wants to even dare talk about. Disobeying the idea that college is the key to success is something that should be explored and rediscovered. We need to start questioning why we are truly going to college. If you ask students, most of them will say that they are in college for the money, to get a better job and build a better foundation for their future. But if the chance of getting a better job means giving up on what you are passionate about, is it really worth it? In McArdle’s article, she states,
It’s very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and beer pong and
come out no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely,
chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make triple or quadruple the
wages of an entry level high school graduate. (McArdle, 3)
Students are giving up what they really want to do to take up a major they think will get them a better job.  Personally, I see something wrong with that. How many dreams and passions are sacrificed merely because we have fallen for the false hope of earning large amounts of money?
Because of obedience, more and more students are falling into the traps of subsidized loans. College is a money generating entity and they must compete with others. Colleges attract students with non-academic luxuries such as high speed internet, nice classrooms and gyms. As McArdle states, “[...] 18 year olds often don’t look quite as hard as the education they’re getting” (McArdle, 4). Colleges are aware of this so they take advantage and “[...] raise the tuition for which the 18 year olds are obediently borrowing the money” (McArdle, 3). Instead of looking at the perks of the considered college, aspiring students should look at what the college has to offer in their academics. Just because the college has a tennis court and a bowling alley, it doesn’t mean it’s going to help you achieve your dreams.