If you walk into my room you can probably find five books relating to college; one labeled PSAT Prep another labeled ACT Practice test and three others relating to college vocabulary. Growing up in the Olentangy School District, the essential life decision of going to college has been repeated and heard by every student. In sixth grade, I joined student council because I was told it would look good on my college application. In eighth grade, I became a web leader in order to reap the same benefits of improving my college application. That same year I convinced my Spanish teacher to allow me five points of extra credit in order to have all A’s. From a young age, I was taught the importance of education from both my parents and the Olentangy school system. Now that I am a junior in high school I have been receiving more and more questions about how I will further my education, especially considering a large percentage of my family members are proud alumnus.
Despite a strong push to attend college, I have never felt disdain towards making the decision. However, I understand how others may feel differently about spending another four years in school with potential debts and a vacancy when it comes to their job description. In 2017, the percentage of unemployment for people with some college or an associate degree was 3.8 percent, only 1.5 percent higher than workers who graduated high school but did not attend college. Therefore, I have an understanding of why some of my friends say things like, “I don’t really want to go to college” or “I can get a job without going to school for another four years.” However, according to the Georgetown center of education and workforce, “65 percent of jobs will require education and training beyond high school,” thus creating an increasingly limited job selection for those choosing not to complete college. Yes, college is the right decision for me, however; others may not feel the same. The decision to go to college is unique to the individual and should only reflect their decision. I am proud to say that both my parents and grandparents graduated college, and I am looking forward to following in their footsteps.
