Four Year College Education

Higher education has been an integral part in American history for longer than America has been a country. The first institution of higher education, now known as Harvard University, was founded in the early 1600’s--a hundred and thirty years before America declared its independence from Great Britain. These institutions have changed drastically in the last three hundred years. Students no longer go to Universities to get an education; students now attend because they see college as a means to an end. They go simply to try and guarantee themselves a job after attending. Four year universities are not practical for these people; it will lead to thousands of dollar thrown down the drain, and saddle the student with a huge debt that they will …show more content…
These are two things that college was intended to do for students. The experience of college is unique in society. Going off to a four-year school marks, for teens going directly into college, the first time that they have really had independence from their parents. They learn life skills like time management and working as a team, while at the same time learning how to function as an individual. Four-year universities also provide time to explore multiple courses before deciding on a major. This is useful because of how important choosing a major is; the choice that students make essentially chooses what they do for the rest of their lives. At community colleges, students do not have time to explore courses. They must go into the school knowing what they want to do, get a technical degree or certification in that field, and then go out into their chosen career path. The experience of a four-year university and the freedom to explore majors are part of what makes a four-year university the right choice for students who do not know what they want to do for a …show more content…
One of the primary reasons for this is because of the huge student loans that can pile up while attending a four-year university. The average tuition at a private university for one year is around thirty two thousand dollars. Unless financial aid comes into play, or a good scholarship is attained, students could come out of college lugging around a hefty debt of over one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. If the chosen career falls through, the debt will mount up even more through interest and financially cripple the student. On the other hand, a community college averages around three thousand three hundred for a school year. This is significantly less than even in-state public universities charge, which is around ten thousand dollars for the same job-related skills. The money that would have otherwise been spent attending a four-year university could be put to other uses, such as finding an apartment and leasing a car. Community colleges also take two years less to complete than a four-year university. These extra two years could be spent working on the student’s chosen career path. Also, high paying jobs can be attained through community college. An example of this would be welding. A student can go to a community college, get an associates degree in welding technology, and consistently earn over fifty thousand dollars a year. Community colleges are more practical for people who just want a