Studies show that college is important for many reasons; for instance, if you want a stable career and satisfaction, you might need college. In 2019 there were 73% of high school graduates enrolled in college; in 1950, 50% of high school graduates. In 2022 we had 73.7% which was 20,031,000 students enrolled.

In a 4-year course, 56% of students tend to drop out of college after 6 years. Students aged between 24-29 are most likely to drop out of four-year college, as 52.2% of them have left without a degree. 

So I went and interviewed some teachers about their experiences and whether it is worth going. The first person I interviewed was Mr. Wheeles. He attended UAA and got a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in teaching. In Mr. Wheeles’ opinion, he believes that it was worth it. “I would recommend a trade if that is what you need for your career and in the end, it depends on what type of career you want to do. But at least get a secondary education.”

The next teacher was Mr. Campbell, who went to Michigan State and got a bachelor’s in biology and physical sciences, followed by a master’s in education. He thinks that the cost of college has gone up since he went to college. “I wouldn’t recommend college over a trade school or other form of secondary education,” said Mr. Campbell.

Mrs. Melican majored in English, and she thinks English is the best subject. She was an English teacher and now she is a librarian. She believes it was worth it.

The next teacher I interviewed was Mrs.Nurmi; she believes that college is not necessary. She got a bachelor’s in political science, geography, history, and education. She thinks that college was worth it, but it depends on what you want to do after high school.

One of the last teachers I interviewed was Mrs. Essary. She has a bachelor’s in English and history, and a master’s in special education. She believes that college only helps if that is the career you are striving for. She had always wanted to be a teacher. In Mrs. Essary’s opinion, you should have a gap year.

The last teacher I interviewed was Mr. Peters. He went to boys’ state and then went to UAA. He got a bachelor’s in history and a master’s in education. He had a positive experience in college. “It is a big shock when you go to college, because you realize how much of it is on you,” said Mr. Peters.

If you don’t want to go to college, then get a secondary education. The big thing going into college is balancing school and your mental health, but at the end of the day, it’s what you want to do as a career.