Higher education in the United States of America is often times looked upon as necessity to secure a high-paying job, increase employment opportunities, or just further an individual's list of life achievements. But is college truly worth its value in the long run? Today, nearly sixty-six percent of high school students enter straight into college, regardless of tuition cost. As the price range to obtain an higher education continuously increases every year, teens all over the country seeming less seek the need to attend. As a current college freshman, the process of going to college and getting a bachelor's degree is what has been the expectation since kindergarten. This particular subject caught my attention mainly because of the financial aspect. Parents find themselves shoveling out money each semester, hoping their student's efforts in the classroom may bring respectable jobs, allowing them to live comfortable. In reality, attending college virtually testing our financial stability as Americans citizens. 

Having student loan debt as a focal point in America's issues, costs of going to college could definitely be cut mildly cut down. However, having earned a college degree not only shows your work ethic and dedication, but allows graduates to grow maturely as intellectuals  and immediately become competitive for jobs. According to New York Times writer, Rebecca Mead, college institutions teach students "to nurture critical thought" which develops an ability of "listening actively but responding intelligently". Yes, college creates a financial burden on most, but the exposure and learning experiences one can gain are critical as young Americans begin to transfer into the workforce. Employers usually seek out applicants based on education levels because a college degrees screams " that you've spent four years in a place where you were forced to consider new ideas, to meet new people, to ask new questions, and to learn to think, to socialize, to imagine.", making that expensive tuition your still paying off worthwhile. Paying for college is also worth it because more and more jobs are making it a requirement before hiring. The emphasis placed on an bachelor's today is equal to what the high school diploma was forty years ago. In fact, Georgetown University calculated that in 2018, 63%  of jobs will require some form of college education. That is a significant amount, considering how many students all already struggling with making payments towards attending college. 

As time moves forward, the workforce will only continue to get more specialized and specific. Desirable jobs will also become less saturated as the focus moves more toward education and less towards "another application".  Being a pre-pharmacy student, exposure in the field and superb grades are what the admissions office hone in on when accepting students. It's no different than a boss choosing the most qualified person to work under them. Without an college degree the average work class population will not be competitive.

Besides grades and a solid resume, college is an experience that teaches students life lessons that will also play a role in the real world. Critical decision making, the value of relationships, and being exposed to many cultures, is something college students tend to admire to most. These traits build character as well, allowing college to have a positive, everlasting impact on students. Rather than just being thrown into the work force immediately after high school, college acts as an ideal transition stage that gives young Americans the option to explore any field of choice before making it their occupation. However, this phenomenon of choosing your own major leads to underemployment as well. This last thing any parent wants to see is their child working in a field they're over-qualified for after paying thousands of dollar for a college education. In 2011 50% of college graduates under 25 years old had no job or a part-time job. Due to fact more jobs are looking for extremely qualified candidates, competion for them is increasing drastically, making life a living hell for recently graduated students. Job security is a serious topic, that is shocking to most students that have not yet found a job by graduation day. A college education is worth it simply because students with at least a bachelor's degree are better off in pretty much every category (interpersonal skills, salaries, health, etc.) than those without. 

