THE COLLEGE STRUGGLE

COLLEGE PENNANTS IN THE CCAHS TROPHY CASE; PHOTO BY JESSE SCHUERER

Every year in the United States more than 3.8 million students graduate from high school. Every year a new group of young people move onward to the so-called “real world” and the expectations of their parents, school administration, and peers weigh heavily on their choice of what to do next. Ultimately, it’s one of most personal and important decisions of their adult lives but everyone seems to have an opinion.

According to a survey by Best Colleges, 52% of high school students feel pressure to make decisions about their future too soon. At the onset of senior year students are blasted with a barrage of emails, letters, and calls from colleges all over the country trying to sell themselves as the best institution for the student, worded so that they sound personal but are still incredibly vague and obviously automated. Even in late April when the majority of students have made their college decision, emails begging for applications continue. 

“Remember that when you apply, you'll take advantage of: No application fee, no essay or recommendation requirement, Automatic scholarship consideration, A one-week admission decision, You may not need to submit ACT/SAT scores. These are all perks I'm happy to give you as part of your Viking Edge status!” Said one email from Grand View University. This made it seem like they were doing you a personal favor by making the application process “easier” and more accessible even though it’s often long and exhausting for most students. 

In recent years, more and more students are choosing alternatives to a four-year degree. At the beginning of April, an article from the Wall Street Journal referred to Gen Z as “The Toolbelt Generation” as a rise in vocational school enrollment has risen 16% since 2018. College tuition has risen almost 65% in the past 20 years. 

College is sold as an essential part of becoming an adult, and for some people, maybe even most people it is, however there are a number of valid and lucrative alternatives. According to Indeed, the average hourly pay for a plumber in Iowa is 17-44 dollars an hour, the latter of which is nearly six times the federal minimum wage. 

  Every year more and more students suffer through unnecessary stress about what their future holds, with social, and family pressure pulling them in a million different directions. How are they supposed to make an informed decision about their future when only one narrative is pushed in schools? College isn’t the only option, and until the college debt crisis is resolved it shouldn’t be pushed as such.