How essential is a college education?

[Nebulous]

How essential is a college education?



Can you have a successful life without going or do you think college is required for that?

[Artemis]

It really depends what kind of success you're pursuing. For some career paths a college education would be very important, if not for the knowledge you gain than the advantage you gain over potential competition in your field. In other situations probably not so much (maybe a trade or other specialized field, but also if what you're after just doesn't really need it).

tl;dr it depends. In the spirit of your question though, you can live a successful life without going, it's just that your options will probably be more limited.

[Dazzal]

A lot will depend on how you define value or success. If you’re referring to financial, then sure. Some trades are far more valuable, in fact, and with a good business sense, a trades' person can have a successful career and make good money.

That being said, the college experience is a truly unique and wonderful experience. Especially if you want to be a doctor, lawyer, etc. who learns from brilliant professors in colleges. The way I see it, there are benefits to both.

[User 180565 is taking donation]

Most celebrities you hear about are college drop outs or didn't even finish high school, but that's a small percentage on what to expect from reality. The thing that you need to think about when going to college is what you're most passionate about. You're basically taking out student loans to try to be successful for your dream job. Personally my main focus in life wasn't school (que the har har you should've went jokes) but where I got smart was managing my monthly bills to live a little more stress free.

Do you need college for a fair life? No. But I'd recommend working some low end jobs before actually considering if you want to pursue funding for it. You may find a lower end job you end up loving, move up in management and plan to do it the rest of your life. At the end of the day experience doesn't always need school it needs a teacher. By that I mean you can learn from anyone close to you and live an alright life. As long as you can be successful at paying for rent and food comfortable that's all that should matter in a person's life time.

So yeah, college in my eyes is useful for someone that wants professional jobs that require it, but you also don't really need it to live life. It will always be there for you though.

[Scott]

Unfortunately now days a college degree seems like it equates with having a high school diploma. There are some jobs where you may have the knowledge and experience, but not having a degree you may not be considered for hire.

I know a person who had a successful career but was redacted when the company downsized. They are less than a decade from retirement age, and although there is no age discrimination *ahem* in the US, there is. What has helped this person was the fact they got a college degree years ago. The degree was not related to the job they held all these years or their current pursuits, but having a degree none the less has opened some doors.

Whether one has a degree or not, the most important thing is understanding your finances and planning for the future.

If one wants to explore the higher education route, they can always start at junior/community college. It won't break the bank.


So is having a college degree key to Having a successful life? This all depends on how one defines success.

[heatherly]

Depends on the career choice, certainly. There are certificates and credentials one can achieve in lieu of college degrees to pursue different lines of work that pay pretty well. Some positions will even forego college degrees if you have the experience (if you were lucky enough to get into the line of work before the thought that we need college degrees to do much of anything). It can be important at times for some career advancement opportunities, but it does not seem to be a necessity across the board.