Yes, College is Still Important… and You are Worth It!
I’m sure you’ve seen the news stories floating around online about the value of a college degree. And you’re probably thinking:
Is it even relevant?
Who can even go?
Is it worth it?
I know, I know… if you have not gone to college, it probably seems like an unachievable or mysterious goal that is not worth your time. So, of course, it is easier to just give up on going to college, dismiss it, or diminish its importance in your life.
I’m here to tell you something you’ve probably not heard among the noise of the naysayers:
YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Going to college is probably the best investment in yourself that you can make. Someone with a college degree ends up making at least a million dollars more in their lifetime than someone who has never gone.
Part of the reason many don’t attempt college is because they were never encouraged in school. They struggled with poor instruction. Or maybe life outside of the classroom was so difficult and distracting that you were just DONE with school altogether.
I get it. The way school is done in the US is not ideal…but it’s pretty good. If you look at other areas of the world, the US has the broadest choices of educational opportunities in the world! You also can go to college at any point in your life. That is not necessarily true in other parts of the world. That is why the world comes to us to continue their educational journey.
Psychology tells us that we just need one person, just ONE… to believe in us to help mitigate the negative parts in our life. One person…that’s it. I can attest that you WILL find that person in college.
If you didn’t find that person in the K-12, don’t think that school isn’t for you. Community colleges are wonderful places to reconnect with the lifelong learner in you. You just need to find the time. Many provide free bus fare if transportation is an issue.
The Community College is where I started – shout out to LA Harbor College! I was 10th in my high school graduating class, took honors and AP classes, but I just wasn’t ready to go to a 4-yr university. I needed time to think, and I needed to work to help my family.
But I went…started off part time, and it was the best decision I could have made. I transferred to a 4-yr educational institution and the rest is history! And now I’m telling you – GO!
I’m going to put my counselor hat one for a moment, so bear with me.
You are worth this investment. Let me say this again, YOU ARE WORTH IT!
I push back on those who try to sell you – literally sell you – on their idea that you don’t need a college degree to succeed in life. I call BS. They are exploiting your low self-esteem. They are essentially saying, “you know what…you were such a failure in high school, why bother with a college degree. You’re a loser and you will always be a loser. Now let me sell you something I’m peddling.”
Right?! I’m sure you’ve felt this vibe from some of those folks telling you to go to a trade school or forgo school altogether. Again, I call BS. I bet they only say this to certain folks – ethnic, racial, and linguistic minorities, immigrants, and the poor. I know…I’ve seen those grifters coming a mile away. Give me a break.
Again, YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Why is going to college so important? Because most of us will not be entrepreneurs. We will be working at a job or growing in a position that will provide most of our economic stability. That means you need to get a degree. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
And if you do want to become entrepreneur, a college degree will make the path easier. You will know what questions to ask, what resources are available to you. And guess what? You will have an Alumni Association and a Career Center to help you get started.
I know, right?! Mind blown!
One recent NPR story: A growing number of Americans are questioning the value of going to college, talks about how, on a national level, we are questioning whether college will have a positive impact. This macro level economic analysis is easier understood when you bring it down to the personal. People, individuals, are questioning whether a college degree is worth it to them. The past few years has been hard on our mental and emotional well-being, not to mention our physical health. It is easy to get down on ourselves and have no hope for the future.
I’m here to tell you that you must maintain hope. Begin with yourself. Invest in yourself. Understand that every second of the day you are becoming a different person. You decide what those seconds will add up to at the end of your life. An education will provide you with growth, focus, and learning. It will be a place where you can build or rebuild a lot of who you want to become. The academic advisors and instructors at the community college are LITERALLY waiting to help you on your journey. Please GO!
There are also dueling story lines that say college enrollment is declining… while at the same time, the CSU and UC systems in California are expanding their admissions to accommodate an additional 24,000+ students! Take a look at the sources, and then make your own decisions on what it really going on. The business sector is promoting a line of thinking based on economic factors they think won’t improve. I call BS…things are already improving. Things are getting better. You are getting better.
California sees it as one of the best investments to bolster the rosters at colleges and universities. Community colleges in California are free if the school participates in the California College Promise Program. You literally just must show up and do the work. But even if your local college doesn’t participate, you may be able to go for free if you meet certain income criteria. You can find out more about the California College Promise Program here: https://www.cccco.edu/Students/Pay-for-College
I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day that said hard skills will get you the job, but soft skills will get you the promotion. EXACTLY! And where do you get those soft skills? In college.
In college, you will have a deliberate educational experience where you learn to work on projects with folks who are different than you, manage your emotions, learn leadership skills, learn presentation skills, learn a new language, learn to push through adversity – all in a safe learning environment with educators who are there to make sure you succeed.
I mean, really. Who wouldn’t want that kind of support in their corner?!
Again…YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Even becoming a mechanic is enhanced with an associate degree and a certification. The trade and technical schools that cost an arm and a leg cannot replace the foundational educational experience you get from going to college. Having a college degree will allow you to advance in your career and maybe even open your own shop. Remember, you are now an alum of a college and have access to that network, AND the college Career Center is there to help you too.
You also have finished an important endeavor – an Associate Degree. From it you have MANY MORE options than with just a high school diploma. You can even continue your education to the bachelor’s degree because you got the foundational credits done already.
And guess what, all those folks who tout the “you don’t need a college degree” line, have their college degree. Bruh…really?!
Go to college…please! An associate degree is a must-have in the 21st century marketplace of commerce and ideas. From it you can build or rebuild yourself. From it you become a lifelong learner. From it you become a success!
Okay, last time… YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Check out the website of your local community college. Then set up a Zoom or in-person advising appointment with a representative just to see what your options are right now. Reach out to me if you need any guidance.
Come on… you are worth the investment. Go to college. Tell me how it goes, I’d love to hear from you.