The Price of Success
Attending college was an inconceivable thought for me when I was ten years old. When I was growing up neither of my parents had a college degree and both worked exceptionally hard to make a living. I did not like school and was so glad I had eight years of school left, and I was done forever; however, my mom and dad quit their jobs to live with my grandpa while my mom acquired her nursing degree. I was both excited to be moving, but I did not understand why anyone would take the time and money to do what I hated every day, so I asked my dad, and he said “this degree has a price, but when she finishes this degree we will be better off.” While there are similarities between high school graduates and college graduates those …show more content…
The merits of a college degree can be seen when the money earned is compared to that of a high school graduate. In general terms the “studies show that over a 30-year career, not getting a college degree costs half a million dollars” (“Students debt” 2). This can also be seen be seen during the most recent recession when “People with four-year college degrees saw a 5 percent drop in wages, compared with a . . . 10 percent decline for high school graduates” (Perez-Pena 2). This means those who earn a degree will not lose as much of their pay as a high school graduate. The clearest statistic of college having a positive impact is the fact that “Nine out of 10 children who grow up at the bottom of the income ladder but then graduate from college move up to a higher economic bracket as adults, according to the Pew Charitable …show more content…
This was evident when “A recent study by the Univ. British Columbia found that kids of parents with college degrees were 85% more likely to eat vegetables and 67% less likely to drink sugary drinks during the school week than those whose parents only went to high school” (“College grads” 1). I have had firsthand experience with both sides of the spectrum since my parents both had no college education and would feed me junk food such as pizza rolls, T.V. dinners and fish sticks, but when my mom earned her degree, she started stressing that I should have more vegetables in my meals. The facts on marriage are equally interesting because those who acquire a bachelor’s degree are much more likely to have lasting marriages. I am referring “to a new study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only 26.5% of couples with a bachelor 's degree are likely to get divorced vs. 42.3% with some college and 42.8% for high school grads” (“College Lowers" 1). This is significant because earning a bachelor’s degree significantly cuts back on the chances of having to suffer the pain and expenses of
Attending college was an inconceivable thought for me when I was ten years old. When I was growing up neither of my parents had a college degree and both worked exceptionally hard to make a living. I did not like school and was so glad I had eight years of school left, and I was done forever; however, my mom and dad quit their jobs to live with my grandpa while my mom acquired her nursing degree. I was both excited to be moving, but I did not understand why anyone would take the time and money to do what I hated every day, so I asked my dad, and he said “this degree has a price, but when she finishes this degree we will be better off.” While there are similarities between high school graduates and college graduates those …show more content…
The merits of a college degree can be seen when the money earned is compared to that of a high school graduate. In general terms the “studies show that over a 30-year career, not getting a college degree costs half a million dollars” (“Students debt” 2). This can also be seen be seen during the most recent recession when “People with four-year college degrees saw a 5 percent drop in wages, compared with a . . . 10 percent decline for high school graduates” (Perez-Pena 2). This means those who earn a degree will not lose as much of their pay as a high school graduate. The clearest statistic of college having a positive impact is the fact that “Nine out of 10 children who grow up at the bottom of the income ladder but then graduate from college move up to a higher economic bracket as adults, according to the Pew Charitable …show more content…
This was evident when “A recent study by the Univ. British Columbia found that kids of parents with college degrees were 85% more likely to eat vegetables and 67% less likely to drink sugary drinks during the school week than those whose parents only went to high school” (“College grads” 1). I have had firsthand experience with both sides of the spectrum since my parents both had no college education and would feed me junk food such as pizza rolls, T.V. dinners and fish sticks, but when my mom earned her degree, she started stressing that I should have more vegetables in my meals. The facts on marriage are equally interesting because those who acquire a bachelor’s degree are much more likely to have lasting marriages. I am referring “to a new study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only 26.5% of couples with a bachelor 's degree are likely to get divorced vs. 42.3% with some college and 42.8% for high school grads” (“College Lowers" 1). This is significant because earning a bachelor’s degree significantly cuts back on the chances of having to suffer the pain and expenses of