There is a misguided myth that many Americans believe that in order to be successful you must have a college degree. While a college education has affected our great American culture and economy, the idea that college is the “right” and “responsible” decision for those who are pursuing the American dream is outdated and borderline dangerous. Today, many opportunities are given to everyone to receive higher educations. But this does not mean that everyone should attend a four year college. Everyone was not created equally in their educational abilities, everyone should not be pressured to attend a four year college but should be encouraged to go to a community college, vocational school, or job experience instead of being looked down upon in …show more content…
Our economy depends on a workforce of people who have no degrees to manage jobs that everyone depends on. The people who work at restaurants, gas stations, truck drivers, mechanics, plumbers and cashiers are needed to keep our consumer society flowing smoothly. Imagine going to the grocery store with no one working there. You would arrive and there would be no grocery cart to get your goods in. Next, you would be searching for the products you need and nothing would be on the shelves because the truck delivery would not have dropped off the goods. After you find your limited goods, you go to check out and nobody's there to scan your groceries and you cannot purchase them. Some argue that technology will replace jobs that do not require college degrees. However, there are basic level jobs that cannot be replaced by robots like barbers, mechanics, and the entire service industry. The entire arts and entertainment industries with designers, stylists, and celebrities would be non existent without entry level positions. Although the increase of jobs in fields like education, science, and technology are in high demand, we cannot fill them with people who cannot make it through a four year degree (Bergeron). It is also true that college increases the value of a person's income. Lifetime earnings in careers that are supported the degree earned bring in a total premium of $570,000 for a bachelor's degree and $170,000 for an associate's degree. It’s not a secret that people who complete a college degree and use it in their career make more money than people who do not have a degree but the truth is 50% of college students can complete those degrees. The fact that people still cannot make it through a four year degree is not going to change even if the demand for industries does. The jobs need to be filled but they should be filled by the