“Have you gotten your college applications done?”, “What colleges are you thinking of applying to?” are just some of the questions we’ve asked or have been asked in these past couple of months.
As seniors at Edison, college was not a topic that was shy of discussion. Not only seniors but underclassmen have also taken part in this exchange. Although it was a great conversation starter, it made us go down a rabbit hole regarding what we want to do with our lives.
Some students might be pursuing a 4-year degree, some might be looking to go into community college, and some might even be going to trade school. The decision can vary from person to person and can impact the rest of their lives. As someone who was fortunate enough to get into their Early Decision, I knew what I wanted to do from the start. This might not have been the case for other students.
“I am planning to go to college. I am certain that I will be able to get on the right track. When I go to college, I will pick a career that will benefit me financially, and give me location freedom and time freedom,” said Tarif Rashid, a junior at Edison.
Students don’t necessarily need to have a full A-Z plan on what they want to do. They can attend college as an undecided major and slowly figure it out. People are also getting influenced by millionaires such as Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg who didn’t complete college but are highly successful today.
“If anything, now there are a lot more opportunities outside of college that people take advantage of and manage to achieve more success than people that do go to college” said Rashid.
Randy Persaud, a graduate who is now going to Duke University, pursuing Software Engineering, states that graduates are more likely to get paid higher salaries with a degree.
“The salary for a software engineer for going to college vs. for not going to college, there is a large gap, so it made sense for me to go to college,” Persaud said.
Many have decided to attend college to increase their chances of making the most money. However, many others believe college instead will put you in debt which can take years to pay off.
The decision depends on you and your knowledge of what is important to you. Wanting to go because you will be a first-generation college student and will have the chance to make your parents proud. Or not wanting to go because you believe there are plenty of other opportunities to become successful, such as online programs or boot camps.
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