7 answers
7
Questions
7 answers
Updated
Alejandra’s Answer
College is always a plus! more and more companies are requiring you to have some kind of college degree in order to be considered. However, just as much as some companies are seeking college degrees, they are also seeking experience. Do not forget to sign up for projects that you can highlight in a resume and look for internships. It is never too early to do an internship.
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Shelby’s Answer
Hi Oscar! I don't think that college is for everyone! It really depends on what you want to do and whether that field requires you have a degree, or if you can get your foot in the door with an internship and work your way up.
You may still want to take some courses or look into a trade. But I disagree with some of the previous comments that suggest college is always needed. Sometimes it will cost you more than the degree is worth.
You may still want to take some courses or look into a trade. But I disagree with some of the previous comments that suggest college is always needed. Sometimes it will cost you more than the degree is worth.
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Angelo’s Answer
College is great! You meet a lot of new people and learn a lot of new things. It also makes things a lot easier when applying to jobs after you graduate.
For a lot of people, college is the last time that new experiences, knowledge, and people with similar interests and age are so densely packed together - so if you can, do take advantage of it and enjoy it!
For a lot of people, college is the last time that new experiences, knowledge, and people with similar interests and age are so densely packed together - so if you can, do take advantage of it and enjoy it!
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Hanley’s Answer
That's a surprisingly complicated question. Honestly I think it boils down to if you're ready for it and know what you want to do. A lot of high school students just go to college because that's what comes after high school and they don't have a clear idea of what they want to do in college or afterward. The key word here is "clear" idea.
If you know what you want to do and are comfortable with it, pursue it. If college is the way to get there, then go to college.
If you're still trying to decide what you might want to do, college is the wrong place to figure that out. It's expensive and you don't get a good feel for what the world of real work is genuinely like. You can burn through a lot of time and money without having much to show for it afterward and undermine your ability to attend college at a later date. You may be much better off working for a bit and getting a better idea what different career paths offer and what you think you'd be good at. It varies a lot for each person.
Of course, there are a lot of other factors that play into this, like scholarships and family obligations for instance. Also, keep in mind that for most career paths, a prestigious school isn't really any better than a small regional state-run college or university. The most important thing is that the specific program at that school is a good one. A bad program at a good school isn't a ticket to success. For instance, I know some computer science programs that are surprisingly bad at otherwise well known and respected schools.
Lastly, there is a strong "follow your passion" philosophy in pop culture these days that gets talked up a lot. Be careful when choosing to follow your passion, a lot of things can go wrong with that. For one, you can turn something you love into your job and take all the joy out of it, or not, but I speak from experience here and that's a real issue. You can also end up chasing your passion right into a crushing pile of student debt and come out on the other end without any viable career options to help you pay it off, which my daughter did. For every wild success story about someone who followed their passion there are hundreds of stories about how that didn't work out so well. Make good choices for yourself, but don't be blinded by this pop culture idea, temper it with a dose of pragmatic realism. Know how far out on a limb you can go without breaking it. Balance that pursuit with self-awareness.
Good luck.
If you know what you want to do and are comfortable with it, pursue it. If college is the way to get there, then go to college.
If you're still trying to decide what you might want to do, college is the wrong place to figure that out. It's expensive and you don't get a good feel for what the world of real work is genuinely like. You can burn through a lot of time and money without having much to show for it afterward and undermine your ability to attend college at a later date. You may be much better off working for a bit and getting a better idea what different career paths offer and what you think you'd be good at. It varies a lot for each person.
Of course, there are a lot of other factors that play into this, like scholarships and family obligations for instance. Also, keep in mind that for most career paths, a prestigious school isn't really any better than a small regional state-run college or university. The most important thing is that the specific program at that school is a good one. A bad program at a good school isn't a ticket to success. For instance, I know some computer science programs that are surprisingly bad at otherwise well known and respected schools.
Lastly, there is a strong "follow your passion" philosophy in pop culture these days that gets talked up a lot. Be careful when choosing to follow your passion, a lot of things can go wrong with that. For one, you can turn something you love into your job and take all the joy out of it, or not, but I speak from experience here and that's a real issue. You can also end up chasing your passion right into a crushing pile of student debt and come out on the other end without any viable career options to help you pay it off, which my daughter did. For every wild success story about someone who followed their passion there are hundreds of stories about how that didn't work out so well. Make good choices for yourself, but don't be blinded by this pop culture idea, temper it with a dose of pragmatic realism. Know how far out on a limb you can go without breaking it. Balance that pursuit with self-awareness.
Good luck.
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Vera’s Answer
College is a must! We live in a very competitive working environment, and college will improve your cost as a professional. I wish someone had told me this when I started.
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Craig’s Answer
College is what you make it, chose courses carefully and change if not what expected, get involved in sport and social activities, meet others and enjoy it
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Robert’s Answer
I am a recent graduate and college is important if you want to be in certain fields. For example, to do a trade, just go to a trade school and you'll do great. However, for the sciences, certain business positions, and others will require minimum a bachelor's degree. At some point as you are progressing you may need a masters. The most important thing do to do is narrow down potential avenues of life careers you want to go through, go research and see if you need a degree to get the entry level position, then decide if college is important.