Monthly Archives

July 2019

  • Articles, College, GirlSpring.com, School

    Is College Right for You?

    college

    Why College is Not for Everyone

    Nowadays, society has created the idea that a college degree is an essential part of becoming successful. However, many people do not realize that college is not the ideal path for everyone. It is a huge financial commitment with no guarantee that your degree will be useful by the time you enter the work force. The Idaho Department of Labor found that the average bachelor’s degree in the United States is estimated to cost about $127,000. Not to mention the fact that scholarships and grants have become extremely competitive, and many people end up with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans that take years to pay off. Furthermore, Idaho researchers found that around 20% of students who take out loans owe more than $50,000 by the end of their undergraduate programs.

     

    What many high school students fail to realize is that college is not necessarily the best option for everyone. According to the Institute of Educational Statistics, about 40% of students attending a four-year college drop out before finishing their degree. If you have been a below-average student throughout your prior educational years, then what makes you think that college is the time and place to turn everything around? Doing poorly in secondary education, regardless of the reasons, does not guarantee that you will do any better in college. College is a serious investment for most people, and dropping out is like lighting thousands of dollars on fire and saying “oh well”.

     

    College is hard, very time-consuming, and almost every type of degree is competitive.

     

    While a lot of jobs require employees to have certain degrees, there are also many skill-based opportunities to make a significant amount of income. Trade schools are two-year programs that are a great option for people who have come to the conclusion that college is not the best path for them. If you think about it, attending trade school is a way to jumpstart a career because you will start earning an income years before any of your other peers do. According to an infographic from Entrepreneur, when comparing workers with a trade school certificate to workers with a bachelor’s degree, the people who chose to attend trade school made a median of only $1,347/year less than those who have a four-year college degree. So, just because you attend college does not necessarily guarantee you will be making more than your peers who chose alternative career paths.

     

    Be honest with yourself. What are your skills? Are you going to be able to afford tuition? Will the potential job you get after college allow you to pay off your loans?

     

    People are talented in different ways. Some people love school and working in an office or medical setting. Others may prefer cosmetics or working with their hands.

     

    Don’t be ashamed to do something different while saving time and money.

  • goodreads
    Articles, Books

    Goodreads: A Guide

    What is Goodreads?  Goodreads is a website where you can discover new books based on your personal preferences. Because it has so…