Is College A Waste Of Time And Money?

Going to college is a decision that everyone has considered at some point in their lives. Maybe it was easy for you to choose to go but ask yourself if it was the right choice during exam week. Maybe you chose not to go and wondered if you could be making more money if you had. There are a lot of scenarios in which you might have asked yourself if college is worth is or a waste of time.

Well, the truth is that the debate around this topic is unlikely to get settled anytime soon. Many people have been successful after college, and many have succeeded after dropping out. Many have done the same without ever stepping foot in one.

Here at Turbo Wallet, we believe that the answer to the question “Is College A Waste Of Time And Money?” is entirely dependent on who asks it. In this piece, we will be looking at some of the pros and cons of going to college.

By the end, you won’t have a definitive answer to this question, but you should be able to have a better idea if college will be a waste of time and money for you. Let’s get started.

Benefits Of Going To College

There are many reasons why going to college can be a positive experience – these range from gaining knowledge on a specific subject to improving important skills that will last a lifetime.

When evaluating if going to college is the right choice for you, this is where you want to start. Make a list of all the benefits you can think of when going to college, no matter how “small” they seem! Everything counts when it comes to making such an important decision.

While we can’t provide you with a comprehensive list, we will share some of the benefits we see to going to college. Let’s take a look.

Rebranding Yourself

Graduating from high school is an important step in anyone’s life. During high school, you should have acquired knowledge that will help you for the rest of your life. Sure, you might not be using the quadratic formula ever again or need to remember that the mitochondria are the cell’s powerhouse.

However, this is important due to its informational value and the skills it created. That being said, the value school has in your life goes beyond: School plays an essential role in the shaping of your personality, interests, abilities, and most importantly, your brand.

Let’s face it, not everyone is happy about how school went for them. This can be troublesome if you live in a small city or other situations. When it comes to rebranding yourself, college can be a great asset.

College is an opportunity to completely rebrand yourself by adopting new habits and shedding old ones. This is particularly so if you traveled some distance from where you were raised. You leave your friends behind, and a new stage of your life begins. Most importantly, you will get to know yourself truly.

Especially if you feel like you had some less than savvy behaviors in high school. For example, if you have always been a procrastinator, you can resolve to master some self-discipline. If you were a bully, you could also rebrand yourself into a nice person.

College is set so that there are numerous spaces for interaction among students. You will meet new people in classes, dormitories, parties, and other events. More often than not, this pristine state also includes new friends and acquaintances.

You may not stand some of them at the end of the day, but you’ll surely improve your interacting skills. You could leave with friends and solid business contacts if you are lucky.

Higher Employment Potential

Research shows that college graduates have a higher employment potential than those who haven’t been to college. In 2019, the unemployment for those with a college degree in the U.S was settled at 3.7%.

On the other hand, those who only had a high school diploma had a 4.4% chance of not getting employed. Therefore, if you want to increase your chances of landing a job, you should increase your level of education.

You Might Get a Better Salary

Again, in 2019, it was shown that those with less than a high school diploma earned between $494 and $644 weekly. Those who graduated took home between $633 and $844.

In contrast, those with bachelor’s degrees earned significantly more.

Their earnings were between $1,100 and $1,442. Also, people with a doctoral degree earned between $1,365 and $1,878. So, if you want to be as rich as you can in your industry, earn a few more degrees.

This applies if you have no interest in starting and running a successful business.

Soft Skills

As you can see, college is good for your social life and career. But, that’s not all.

You can also expect to go home with soft skills. These include a good ability to communicate orally and in writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Lastly, you also improve your time management and interpersonal skills. These skills are a side effect of being in college rather than something you intentionally go to learn in class.

Cons Of Going To College

College comes with its drawbacks, so many people opt to take a different path. Just like with the benefits, many factors come into play here. What some might consider a drawback might not be a problem for you at all.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common “cons” of going to college.

Expensive

Do you have any idea of how much it will cost you to get your bachelor’s? You will spend between $25,000 and $50,000 per year on average. This depends on whether your college is public or private and also the major you are pursuing.

Since most students can’t afford to pay out of pocket, most have resorted to getting a student loan. Student loans are good as they help you pay for your tuition and the resources you need for classes.

A good amount of your income will be dedicated to settling this debt. However, you will be saddled with it as you start your professional career. If you are unsure of the value that college will give you economically, enough to counter the cost of getting the degree, stay away.

Bad Professors

Having a questionable teacher implies questionable education. It is inevitable, a bad teacher will be assigned to you at some point in your long university journey. Sometimes you can’t even avoid their classes because you need them for the next subjects or for graduating.

Many college students stated that a bad professor could ruin their experience and make the subject waste time. They even felt like they were wasting their money.

If such a teacher crosses your path, there are two ways to deal with this. You could try to get the upper hand and become the teacher’s pet to pass. On the other hand, you could try talking to him after class to raise your problems.

Paradigm Shift

Going to college no longer assures you of a future in the same way as in the past. If your goal is to start a business, college can waste time and money. This is because we are experiencing a paradigm shift.

What does this mean? Some time ago, all the information available was in the universities. This is no longer the case. Nowadays, you can find what you want on the internet. This includes the ability to educate yourself and in a very good way.

Also, this new way of educating is free, accessible to all, updated, and agile. The only things you will need are a cellphone or a computer and wifi connection.

Lack Of Practice

The education system, in general, has a big problem. The figure of the teacher is involved in this. Who is a teacher? It is a person who has studied to teach others. The problem is that it does not teach you from practice, but everything goes from pure theory.

This is where the mentor appears. A mentor is a person who has had enough of a run in his industry. They know what works and will transmit it to you to put it into practice. They guide you step by step so that you achieve your goals.

It may seem very irrational for a teacher to tell you how to found a company or create a marketing campaign. This is because most of them have never been in that position.

Is College A Waste Of Time And Money?

As shown by the likes of Zuckerberg and Gates, college is not for everyone. Some people do well in class, others not so much. If you are not academically adept, or if your career doesn’t require sitting in a class for 4 years, you may not need college.

Not everyone can become a tenured professor in microbiology. Not a lot of people are interested in such a path. So ask yourself, is college your thing? Are you willing to do 4 years of intense academics?

With E-Learning becoming an increasingly accepted alternative to college, you no longer need to go to college to gain knowledge. Universities like Harvard, Yale, and MIT offer online courses (sometimes for free).

This means that if you are interested in a subject like Computer Science, you will learn it and even get a certificate. Many companies will accept this approach, as a degree is no longer a must-have.

Unfortunately, certain professions will require you to get a degree. If you plan to become a doctor or a lawyer, forget about Coursera, EDx, and similar platforms.

If your intention for pursuing a degree is so that you and your HS friends can hang every day, then do not bother. In Hollywood, college is sometimes portrayed as an endless frat party. It can be, but there is some hard work to be done.

Finally, don’t go to college if you don’t want to. Their parent’s or society’s expectations pressure most high school students. If your only objective to get a degree is impressing your family or other people, please don’t do it.

You should ask yourself some questions when deciding to go or avoid college. We suggest you ask yourself:

• How would I benefit from going to college?
• How would I be negatively affected by going to college?
• What are my expectations in the long term?
• Do I have the skills/discipline to go to college and pursue a degree?
• Are there other alternatives that allow me to pursue my expectations?
• Do I need to make this decision right now?

Make sure to answer these questions as honestly as possible. This is a decision that concerns you and no one else. If you don’t expect college to increase your salary as an artist, why should you consider it a benefit? The more honest and objective you are when answering these questions, the better!

Things To Do Instead Of College

Many people feel pressured to go to college (or not) as soon as they leave high school. This is a big mistake! You should make sure to understand that going to college is not your only option.

Taking your time to learn what alternatives you have is a must. No matter if you want to take some time to rest, work, or learn a specific skill. Take your time before getting into college. Trust us, you don’t want to enroll and feel pressured to finish. Skunk costs can make it harder for you to turn around!

Ecommerce

Ecommerce is starting to become something really big. The word comes from electronic commerce. It involves selling a product or a service online. Through large corporations (and even freelancers), small and medium-sized businesses use e-commerce.

Their products and services are easy to discover and purchase at any hour from anywhere in the world. E-commerce is the fastest-growing retail market, so why wouldn’t you be a part of that?

There are many benefits of hopping on the eCommerce bandwagon. These include:

• You have a global market. This multiplies your target audience exponentially.
• With your online store, you are essentially open 24/7 for 365 days a year.
• Work from anywhere in the world. You only need an internet connection and a good product.
• You will require a lower investment compared to a physical store.

When we talk about the product, there are two things you could do. Make something yourself, or you can source it from somewhere else. You also want something unique. Don’t sell something that lots of people already sell. This means more competition and fewer sales.

Social Media Influencer

A social media influencer is someone who has a lot of followers online. This person is an expert or authority in a particular subject like makeup, cryptocurrency, or cooking. What that person says, or does, can influence the decisions of their followers.

To set an easy and funny example, let’s think of someone called Jim. This person has many followers, starts growing a long mustache, and many decide to copy him. We could consider Jim an influencer.

What also will happen is that a company selling mustache products will communicate with him. It will pay him to start using their, for example, mustache oil? That can seem like a pretty good deal.

However, we are sure you are wondering, how can you get attention from people? Well, you can follow these three steps:

• Be consistent. It doesn’t matter if you produce content like blog posts, videos, or podcasts. You will have to stay consistent for years. People like Gary Vaynerchuk or Seth Godin didn’t build their brands overnight. 
• Leverage different media types. You can try video, blogging, or podcasting. But you have to be everywhere. Some people prefer videos. Others want to listen while they drive. It would be best if you created different content types to appeal to everyone.
• Engage With The Community. If you see a comment, you respond to it. That will show you care about your followers. If you don’t care about other people and your community, don’t expect a community of people willing to follow you.

Go On A Sabbatical

A sabbatical leave is useful to get some time from your obligations, whether it’s months or a year. Studies show that people who take a sabbatical return rejuvenated and more productive.

Give yourself this time to visit weird places, have lots of fun, and meet new people. You will surely not regret it. Sometimes the way to get ideas is to do nothing about it. Think that money comes and goes, but your memories and experiences do not.

Volunteer

Volunteering means committing to giving your time and energy freely for the benefit of society. Anyone can volunteer, and this activity provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. Self-confidence, satisfaction, and social contact are some of them.

On the other hand, you can develop new skills, meet new people, and make new friends. Just think that besides getting a fulfillment sensation, you will also make contacts and apply those learned skills to your CV. This may be handy looking into the future.

People mostly volunteer for several reasons. These include:

• It’s rewarding for themselves
• Becoming part of a team 
• Feeling valued
• Getting others motivated

To find volunteering opportunities in your area, you can search online. Locate a match to your motivation, time, and skills at sites like. Online volunteer match sites are best for urban areas.

Finally, you could consider an online volunteering service. These include managing social media sites, mentoring, and doing website development.

Conclusion on the value of college education

Congrats on reaching the end of the article! As you can see, college is not by any means a golden ticket to success. Many people would waste their education using all their time to drink and party. However, the key to realizing is that college doesn’t mean before. But at the same time, it is not useless at all.

It may be very useful to get your foot into the door. The best thing you could probably do if you are curious about college is to ask yourself the questions we linked and any other that comes to mind. After all, only you can know if college is right for you.

While choosing to go to college shouldn’t be all about finances, this is an aspect you will truly want to consider. As such, we recommend you check our investing, side hustles, and loan sections to find more useful information!