Is college really necessary to succeed in life?

Hi Valeria, I think this is a very good questions to ask. The first thing you need to do is determine what success in your life looks like. This will be different for everyone. Once you have determined what success to you is, decide if going to college is one of those steps to achieve your success. Everyone has different definitions of success so it is smart to think through this and not just follow the "norm".

College is not necessary to succeed in life. It's not even necessary to have a successful career. It all depends on your definition of success.

If success to you means having a career as an engineer, attorney, doctor, etc., then yes college is necessary. For some success is doing what they love every day, and that might not require a college degree.

A great job is much easier to get if you have a skill. Skills can be gained through a variety of options including college, technical school, or apprenticeship.

College isn't necessary to succeed in life. It could potentially make you more marketable depending upon what career path you want to take. The first step is to determine where your passion lies and how you want to impact the world around you. Once you determine what your passion and calling in life is then you can decide if college is a route you want to take. Determining your passion is the foundation for everything.

Valeria, you make an excellent point student debt within the US is the largest in the world, students become adults with debt. However, No! you don't have to attend a college or university to have a great fulfilling career or to become an influential person. There are many great successful people out there that haven't gone to college or that dropped out of college or only went as far as a Bachelors degree. It all depends on your game plan, I for one decided to attend a 4 year institution and graduate with a B.A In Sociology along with many of my friends that went as far as that and decided that going for a masters wasn't for them and then they began to focus on their dreams and passions. Now many of them are very successful and happy. You have to have an outline for what it is you want to do, where you want to go and how you want to get there. What are you passionate about? How do you execute that?

The question "Is college really worth it" can not be answered with a simple yes or no. It really depends on what you look to do/get out of your college degree. For example, if you are a student wondering whether or not college is worth it and you have no real sense of direction with regard to what you want to do in college then it may not be worth it. Personally, I knew I wanted to be an accounting major going into college, a major that I knew had a high likelihood of getting me a job that paid well post college. Other friends of man came in with a similar mentality and decided to pursue an engineering degree. We are all realizing the benefits of seeing out a major we knew would have value on the other end. However, if you are unsure of your career path or are considering a major that will yield shaky job prospects at best, that's when you need to start questioning whether or not it is worth it to you.

Such a good question. It really depends on what you say is successful. It does not hurt but there is many avenues to find success. What I would say about college, is gives you less chance of being unsuccessful and more tools to be success in a lot of avenues. The classes and life lessons you learn in college will help you with other decisions down the line.

Hello! I'm someone who has not got a University Degree and my answer to you based on my own experience is no it is not necessary. If you work hard, gain as much useful experience as possible, behave professionally and match your co-workers in terms of ability, motivation, and drive you can get to where you want to go. However, lack of a University qualification can prevent you being considered for some entry level roles when you are competing against a graduate with the same experience as you. My advice is, if you don't want to go to college, educate yourself in other ways - Take free online courses, gain some professional certifications and keep educating yourself and up-skilling in practical ways. Use each job you take as a stepping stone to the next role. Keep a list of your achievements, get a mentor and work as hard.