Is college required for success?
College is a huge decision at the end of a student’s high school career. Students need to decide if they want to go college, where are they going, what are they doing after high school. It is an expectation in peoples heads that we need to go to college after high school. Is that necessary anymore?
Many of our parents went to college and believed that’s what they needed to do to find a career and be successful. It is different now, people can leave high school and jump right into the workforce. The jenison community talks alot about college but that’s not always what people want to do.
College
There are always going to be careers that need a college education and students know that. Some students know exactly what career they want. They what school has the perfect program for them and they know how much schooling they need. These students know they need to go to college for the career they want.
Joey Schavey, a senior at Jenison high school says “I plan to go to Grand Valley to become an orthodontist, I know this requires 8-10 years and I know Grand Valley has a good program.” Joey has his whole career planned out and knows college will be good for him.
Trade School
Many students hate school and would rather jump right into the workforce. Trades are a perfect fit for them and we always need more spots filled. Students can go to trade school to get more experience before they work or find a company willing to train them.
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“I am more interested in trades than college because I like to be hands-on and learn what I need to know.
— Ethan DeHoop
Ethan DeHoop a sophomore at Jenison says “I am more interested in trades because I like to be hands-on and learn what I need to know.” Ethan doesn’t like sitting in class all day listening to teachers talk, he would rather jump right into work.
Whether students plan to go to college or find another form of education, they can all be successful. Your career plan is specific to you and it depends on how you want your life to look after high school.
Joey says, “There are many jobs now that don’t need a college education. I think it’s becoming less important to go to college, it just depends on who you are.” Both students agree they would never judge another student on whether they go to college or not. They know there are so many different options now.
While college can have many benefits for some students it is not meant for everyone. There are many people who have been quite successful without college. The final decision is up to you and what will be best for your future.
Many Jenison students do not believe you need college to become successful in life. There are many other ways people can pursue careers. While college has always been the accepted path to take after high school it is not always the best. Degrees are becoming less important for many jobs.