Throughout my high school experience, it was suggested that going to college should be everyone’s goal. Teachers constantly urge students to prepare for college. They often state how “this won’t fly in college” or “this information will really help you in college” However, is college really worth it?
I personally want to go to college so that I could further my education and hopefully get a job in the science field. I’ve been interested in learning about our world; biodiversity. However, college can be quite expensive even if you have student loans or scholarships and that for me has always been the biggest con.
Over my years at Taft I had a lot of encouragement from my teachers such as Niki Safakas who was my chemistry teacher sophomore year. She has really encouraged me to continue my education in the scientific field.
Since I am a junior, I am currently not applying to colleges. However, it’s still important to think about at this moment. To help me make the best decision possible I use resources that are available to me like doing research online, asking teachers, other students and family members.
Rade Bozovic, a freshman at Triton Community college, discussed his experience of transitioning from high school to college. It offers a lot of freedom, in a sense that teachers are less strict and it’s nice how you can form your own schedule time wise, Rade said.
He continued, “I am majoring as of right now in business management but that can always change. I am going as of right now for one more year in addition to this year then transferring to a university.”
“As of right now I’m looking at U of I , UIC, maybe even ISU. I am aiming to take mostly business related classes in hopes of being able to have a career in management or even marketing,” said Bozovic.
When discussing the downfalls of college, he stated, “ The biggest cons are the testing; tests really make up your entire grade so one bad test and your kind of toast. The teachers don’t really offer as much help either, there’s no study guides or reviews, it’s really all on you to study.”
When asked what advice he offered towards high school students who are thinking about going to college, Bozovic said, “ I’d advise them to take it as seriously as you can. There are less chances given and you can’t waste thousands of dollars on a class you aren’t gonna take seriously. You can’t decide to try hard halfway through. You’re gonna finish the class how you start the class.”
“However, I don’t think everyone should go to college because college itself isn’t mandatory to obtain a successful career. There are a bunch of paths you can take for other careers outside of college. I recommend it for those who have a plan of who they want to be and are prepared to complete school for it,” said Bozovic.
College graduate and former Taft student, Adem Maksuti, is now working as Senior Manager for an IT company. He went to Illinois Institute of Technology from 2009-2013 and majored in Information Technology Management.
He shared how in his opinion college is not worth it. “As a hiring manager from my old and current positions, the quality of candidates has dropped significantly. In addition, almost all the applicable knowledge I had and have come from working,” said Maksuti.
He continued to state, “My professional advice is to start working as early as possible, preferably in a field you would like to go. Most hiring managers, me included, do not look at education anymore.”
“I’ve had better candidates who were factory workers and bank tellers compared to those who went to college. Most places are willing to teach you what you need to know if you can show a great attitude and drive,” said Maksuti.
Now to hear from a student perspective here at Taft. Senior Isabella Gentile mentioned her experience of what it was like applying to colleges and discussed what she wants to do in further her education.
“The idea of applying to college itself is scary, but using Common App and being able to advocate for yourself, and ask questions makes it really easy. Just don’t procrastinate on deadlines and start applying in August,” said Gentile.
She continued by discussing where and what she wants to do with her future. Gentile said, “I would like to go to Concordia, however Northeastern is much cheaper. My plan is to major in Mathematics Education.”
“I have a passion for teaching. I want to help students so no one is left behind-there are a lot of students out there who have great potential but they need help unlocking it. I had some amazing teachers during my time at high school and they made me want to pursue education,” said Gentile.
Lastly, when asked if everyone should go to college Gentile stated, “I don’t believe everyone should go to college, if your career pathway or job doesn’t require it save the money because too many kids get lost in debt and sell fake dreams with a promise of a degree.”
In the end, college is a choice. Under no circumstances should you let social norms pressure you into spending thousands of dollars towards a college education unless you actively want that degree and are willing to put in the work. Although college comes with a lot of pros it also, sadly, comes with some cons. Whether college and a degree is worth it is all up to you and you alone can decide.
