Is college really necessary for a successful life? We hear this question all the time and both sides of the argument have their merit. And then the time comes we have to help our children decide. What’s your first move? Drop the 1-size-fits-all standard about everyone needing college & be open to kids finding their own path to success. I encourage all parents and daughters to be open to many paths to success. Kids today are conditioned to believe there is one path that fits everyone: get good grades, go to a top college, get a good job, and make a lot of money. But that path does not fit for the majority of people. Dr. Jordan presents many facts about the benefits and disadvantages of a four-year college degree, including economic and mental health issues. For example, over 60% of all US adults over 25 do not have a four year degree, 41% of college grads in their 20s are underemployed and working in jobs that typically don’t require a college degree, and only 46% of college grads in 2022 say they currently work in their field of study, i.e. jobs that do not apply the training they received in college. The high up-front cost of college can dig a hole that takes years to overcome—on average, it takes student loan borrowers two decades to pay off their debt. There are 30 million jobs in the US that pay an average of $55,000 and don’t require a bachelor’s degree; many of these jobs go to people with vocational degrees. A 2017 survey found that 70 percent of contractors have difficulty finding qualified craft workers, such as electricians and plumbers. Dr. Jordan discusses the possible answers to the question: What is the return supposed to be for your four years of college? Is it just about earning more money? Is the only purpose of an education to enable you to get a job? What, in short, is college for? These are great questions to discuss with your daughters during high school years as they try to decide their next step after high school. Dr. Jordan also discusses some of the non-economic benefits of a four year college experience. He also discusses why HOW you go to college is more important than when or where you go. He also discusses how that gap years can be beneficial to young adults, especially if they are conscious about how they use that time. Young adults need usable skills, and college is hardly the only source for developing these. Support your daughters to carve out their own path, in their own way, & in their own time, and to not live life by “shoulds” & what everyone else is doing or not to disappoint parents. If given the choice, given autonomy to choose their path and whether they go to college & where & when, they will be more invested and engaged, thus reap more benefits from the experience. Is college necessary for a successful life? I believe the answer is a resounding no, and we need to appreciate that all young people aren’t cut from the same cloth. Support your kids in finding their unique life path that fits their interests, passions, and aptitude, and watch them soar.
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