College and Education

Today I saw a video on YouTube about college and education. In America, we have set an unspoken standard that a college education is the best route to a successful future. This is something that I have to disagree with.

I grew up with a father who received his bachelors degree, and a mother who only completed a semester at a community college. While they chose different paths after high school, they both worked in companies that paid them enough to support an upper middle class lifestyle, even after they divorced. The reason is the drive and effort they put forth.

In America, we are taught that a college education is key to makimg a lot of money, which is a status symbol unfortunately, and this defines our self worth. A college student is more likely to become depressed and develop an addiction to illegal substances. Some will even cheat because they doubt their own abilities and let a test and a grade define them. Others deal with financial issues because they put themselves in debt when they can't afford to attend college but believe it' necessary. I've personally seen students who've paid thousands of dollars for two years as an undecided major. This is a problem.

Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't have college because that'd be stupid. Many careers NEED to study at a college to obtain the knowledge they need for their job. My example would be doctors, accountants, lawyers, and teachers. But not everything can be taught or needs to be taught in a classroom. 

My mom works in sales at a large publishing company and does better than people with a degree in sales. She learned how to be successful by starting as a sales associate, many years ago, and obtained skills that helped her to move up. She worked through many companies and was soon able to present experience and skills that rivaled a college degree. She taught me to set an end goal and look at all of the ways I could get there. There is often many routes that you can take.

My dad is a chief accountant in a major company and owes his success to the knowledge he obtained in college. A degree may not have been required, but it really helped. I plan on becoming a veterinary technician and must pass a licensing exam. This is an exam that is near impossible to pass without a proper college education to teach me. So is college a good thing? Absolutely. But it's not always necessary and should not define a person's intelligence or worth.

What do you think?

Introduction

I feel as though every good blog should begin with proper introductions. My name is Rachael and I'm a 21 year old, living in Michigan. There is nothing too special about me but I would like to share my thoughts with the world. A lot of times I try to share something and can't finish due to interruptions. I do want to hear your opinion, like the blog title suggests. I only ask that you keep comments respectful and I will do the same. I may talk about controversial and touchy subjects but please know that I will never try to offend you. We live in a world full of people with differing opinions and I'd like to exchange these opinions with you.

What do you think?