Essay: Why is education so imperative for young adults to succeed in life?

Why is education so imperative for young adults to succeed in life? First of all, I believe that furthering one’s education is highly important. Educating yourself with knowledge, apart from what you already know, helps you to become aware of your surroundings. In the late twentieth century, most people didn’t require a college degree to find a good, a paying job. Now a day’s, a college degree and even a master’s degree, in some cases, is essential to obtain a decent job.  College helps you develop communication and leadership skills along with broadening your perspective while exposing you to a more diverse environment. Most people look forward to college and the “flying out of the nest” feeling. Others disagree on going to college because, as seen in the documentary Ivory Towers, some people talk about college being overrated and that it’s a struggle against time.
For those people, like me, who decided to go to college, they take into consideration the fact that they will be entering a new community, where they will learn and meet people from different cultures and places around the world. Going to college, not just exposes you to a new environment, it presents you with skills that are useful for future life struggles and helps you acquire future employment, however, some people only go to university because of the external pressure from parents or society itself.
Going to college straight out of high school is considered the standard in most places and some might have deemed it as a necessity. However, there are various people who believe that going to college straight out of high school might rush you into deciding your future therefore causing you to make wrong decisions, such as choosing a major that you don’t necessarily like. There are reports of numerous students who decide to take a gap year and use that time to work and become better prepared. I believe, that there is some truth to students arriving to college with a firm idea of what they want to pursue in life, yet they suddenly realize that they don’t actually know what they want causing confusion and stress.
When I was in elementary, not only did my teachers instill in me, but also my parents, that in order to be successful I needed to go to college. It was a doctrine I had to implant into my mind. For my entire life I’ve been asked, specially in high school, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” I had some ideas in mind, but honestly, I didn’t really know, until I got to high school. As I was growing up, I learned that college was a vital part of my parents lives, so, I always assumed that when I graduate from high school I would go to college and afterwards I would find a job. It feels as if my whole life is already planned out by what society portrays as the standard way to live life. Nevertheless, people I know, after graduating from high school, decided it was best to go straight to work. Many of them made the decision without being well informed about the financial help colleges provide currently and others were too lazy to continue studying for four or more years. Although some may choose a different path because they have already formed connections and the knowledge to get ahead in life. I, personally, never considered an alternative to going to college because it would mean breaking a family tradition that my parents ingrained in me.
College is not only about studying, but also the first step of becoming a young independent adult. One of the many reasons I chose to go to college was because here, you manage your money, time and make your own decisions. No one can tell you what to do or
what is right or wrong, it’s all up to you. Here, you learn how to take care of yourself, how to be organized and how to socialize with people from different backgrounds. It is also a great opportunity to forge new friendships that can open many doors in the future that provide opportunities. In college, you realize how dependent you were, especially of your parents, and so it’s a key tool to help you become an independent functioning member of society.
College also helps to determine if what I’m studying is what I really want to do for the rest of my life. It’s a way to expand your perspective and explore all the options you have regarding subjects and classes. I came to college to enrich myself and expand my knowledge of what I already know and haven’t yet learned. Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power” and that is something that we should always keep in mind throughout life.
Some say that college will not guarantee a job after you graduate and get your degree, as seen in the documentary Ivory Towers, but a college degree may help you find a job with a good salary faster than someone who doesn’t have a degree. I have also noticed that sometimes a bachelor’s degree is not worth as much as a master’s degree since the level of college attendance has risen in the past century. For example, one of my friends brother, was recently graduated, interviewed for countless positions at business companies and got rejected in every single one until he returned to his hometown where his parents had connections and finally was able to find a job. You definitely need a college degree for
jobs in current times, but because the market has become even more competitive, your degree doesn’t guarantee you anything.  It is very rare now a day to find someone without a college degree that has a well paying job unless they are in the realm of media, for example, models, singers, and youtubers. There is only a small minority of people who drop out of college and have a successful career and a stable life style. Going to college is more like a necessity due to the fact that without a job we don’t have income and without income we won’t be able to sustain ourselves.
My dream is to become a doctor, therefore, I am obligated to acquire a barchelor’s degree, earn my medical degree and finish my residency program. Studying for many years is not a problem for me, since I will be gaining knowledge and end up doing what I am most passionate about. Many people assimilate college with being expensive, and yes, it is expensive, but that’s why most of colleges offer financial aid. Peter Augustine and Charles Murray, when talking about college, asked if college is worth the cost. They also talk about how some people graduate and are still unprepared and unclear about their future. I believe that to be able to sustain a college that provides excellent education, people must pay a substantial amount of money. It is sad to say, but in present times prices for just about everything have increased at an alarming rate. That is also another reason why a degree is extremely important, because, since prices have increased over the last century, you need a job that pays enough money to get by and not be in rough financial troubles.
Someone who wishes to be successful in life will do their best no matter the college they attend. It’s up to you if you want to succeed in life. It is your decision to take advantage of the resources you’ve been provided. Everyone has been through difficult times, but that is not an excuse to not go to college. In the documentary Ivory Tower, it was shown how a boy with low economic resources got into Harvard University and got a full scholarship. He knew it was a risk for him since he didn’t have the money to pay for college, but since that’s what he wanted, he did everything possible to be able to get a higher education. Many people have the resources to go to college and they prefer to not take the opportunity. On the other hand, there are many people who can’t go to college and would do anything to have the opportunity to go. College life won’t last forever and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I cherish all the good moments in and out of class because I am fortunate to have this opportunity.