Reasons for Attending and Not Attending College (Essay Sample)

Write an ESSAY ABOUT THE REASONS FOR ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING COLLEGE. USE THE MLA CITATION STYLE WITH 3 WORKS CITED. The essay should be around 2 pages.
Choosing to attend or not attend college has become a very polarising debate. Both the proponents and the opponents have valid points supporting their arguments. Some of the reasons for attending college include.
A college degree increases someone’s potential lifetime earnings. This is even more pronounced for STEM-related college majors (Webber 17). The higher earnings will enable the graduates and their families to have a higher standard of living and access better healthcare over the course of their lifetime.
Attending college is one of the most effective ways of networking. A student will meet people from diverse backgrounds and form lifelong bonds with them. These people are more likely to be future workmates, business partners, co-founders, employers, employees and friends in general. As the old saying goes, ‘‘your network is your net worth.’’
A student will acquire specialized skills in a particular field. There are many fields like medicine, engineering, accounting, finance, law, architecture and many more that can only be mastered through a degree program. These professions are usually regulated by professional bodies which require that all members should hold certain college degrees.
It will enable someone to become a responsible adult. College is mostly attended by students who are in their late teens or early adult years. This is usually the first time that they get to live on their own, manage finances, do house chores and manage time. By the time they leave college, they would have been molded into responsible adults.
College students are exposed to new ideas. This is very useful for aspiring entrepreneurs because they get a safer environment to experiment with these new ideas. Some of the biggest companies in the world were started by college students. These include Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many more.
As much as attending college has many benefits, there are many valid arguments on why someone is better off not attending college. These include.
The cost of attending college has become too high for many people. The cost is usually covered by student loans which come back to bite later in life (Burrs 3). The repayments will most likely lead to a strained financial position if the loan holder does not land a high-paying job. Strained finances is one of the leading causes of depression and mental illness (Hammen 300).
There are more lucrative opportunities in trade jobs. Trades such as plumbing, painting, welding and many more have seen an exponential increase in demand over the past few years (Nordås 4). Training is mostly done through apprenticeship and the student will work and earn during this period.
For people who are talented or skilled in a particular niche, attending college is not beneficial. There are a lot of self-taught software developers, graphic designers among others who can still get employed and earn without attending college. Most of these skills can be learned on the internet.
For people who are not yet sure of what they want in life, attending college is a very expensive way of finding out. These people are better off taking a few years to work on a job, travel the world, explore their hobbies or just relax as they figure out their purpose in life.
In conclusion, those that are thinking of attending college should thoroughly analyze their abilities and think of their life goals before making the leap.