Arguments For and Against Going to School

Education of some type is important for any culture. It is the bed rock by which traditions and techniques are passed down from generation to generation. We’ve developed more and more complex techniques of storing and analyzing this information, with the inevitable conclusion of creating more knowledge from it. As the technology develops, the ability to propagate the required knowledge and skills to work this technology has to develop as well. Would any current society wish they had fewer computer programmers? A common way for a country to supply itself with these types of skilled workers is to push for the evolution of education and academia, to offer all of this knowledge with as much access as possible, often primarily through schools. 

With the internet being open, and higher education generally costing a lot of money, a big question is whether or not it’s worth it to go to school. 

Everything you could want to know — and more! — is on the internet. While knowledge contains far more questions than (correct) answers, there’s still more information than any individual can handle, so we split it up and and categorize our questions accordingly. Hence school “programs”. So while the internet allows you a free form of question-asking and information-retrieval, being enrolled in a program gives you a definite path you can take with visible steps that can be taken. It’s important to know how you learn, and to recognize which method works best for you. 

The prestige of having a degree is of undeniable value in the market place. It can relay to your employers that you are a capable worker who is willing to finish what they start. And beyond what it says about you, the links between higher education and industry could be the winning formula in helping you find the perfect fit for your career. That being said, being autonomously successful in business or new fields like web development — i.e. having a good portfolio and/or real world experience — can have a lot more substantial worth than a college degree.

Whether you go to college or not, make sure you have a plan. Student debt is at an all-time high, with many of them defaulting on the loans, and access to knowledge is also at an all-time high. Whatever you want to accomplish with your life, make sure you realize how you can get there. Spending four years in school, not enjoying yourself, and not feeling any closer to understanding your place in the university may be just as much of a waste of time as working, doing nothing for four years, if you have no vision.

So look deep inside your imagination, and look at what you most clearly see for your future. Now trust that feeling in your gut and figure out how to make that vision a reality.

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