College not only option as seniors plan for future success
photo or infographic by Wildkat Media
THE ROAD AHEAD. As seniors make choices about their future, college is not the only path to success.
As students approach the end of their high school careers, they are faced with a number of choices concerning their post-graduation plans and potential careers. Immediate plans range from a career in the trades to joining the military to even immediately enrolling in a college or university.
Although attending college immediately after high school is an option for some graduates, mastering a trade or joining the military is a less-known and better option for a wide range of students.
Attending a college or university is a financial burden that many students are not ready to make as soon as they leave high school. The cost of a college education has continually increased in the past few years, and it leaves many wondering if it is even worth the money and effort. Today, the average bachelor’s degree runs a student $80,000. Students must consider if the investment they are making to earn a diploma will pay off in the long run. For many careers that students seek to enter, college is an unnecessary detour many choose to take when there are more monetarily efficient options available.
The pandemic has proven that not all jobs are secure. Throughout the recent times of worldwide distress, people have become familiar with essential and non-essential jobs. A vast majority of jobs that were deemed essential over the course of the pandemic were those found within the trades. Sectors such as energy, construction and maintenance were areas that needed to continue operating to ensure that the country’s infrastructure didn’t fail. A lot of jobs that require a college degree were put on pause and many were left searching for other means of income. The benefits of mastering a skill that will always be in demand outweigh the supposed necessity of going to college.
While it is true that careers such as practicing law or medicine require undergraduate and graduate degrees, it is just as important to master a trade or join our country’s armed forces. Many students are not aware of other options as a result of the expectation that they continue their education at a college or university. When deciding future plans, students should stop and consider their other available options such as the military or trade school.
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Brenan is a senior, one of the multimedia editors and a tennis co-captain. He is a member of the UIL journalism team and was the District Champion in Copy...
Blaine Eckert • Oct 28, 2021 at 10:18 AM
I agree with this view, there will always be people needed for our trades. I know a handful of people that make a pretty good living just off of trades like construction. A couple of people that I know are in the insurance consulting business, and are piled up with work due to the recent hurricanes. People will always need these types of services as with other lines of work.