An article I ready earlier today by
, in which he discussed the desperate need for construction workers around the country, got me to thinking about why so many young people coming out of high school today are eschewing high paying skilled labor jobs and opting instead for a high priced university that will leave them crippled with student debt for years to come. I am one of these fellows with crippling student load debit myself, so its a topic all too fresh in my mind. However, back to the main point, it is important to note that all of my observations are empirical, they are based on my own experiences and what I have observed while being part of academia for the last 10 or so years. And there are a large number of reasons that these young people choose college, I hope to expound on a few below.The first reason I am going to look at, and I think possibility the main reason, is that skilled labor jobs are not held in the same regard by society as many jobs that require four year and graduate level degrees. While it is totally possible to make a very nice living as a auto or diesel mechanic, construction worker, road worker, plumber, carpenter, HVAC worker ect, the same automatic respect is not given to these positions, even though they might make more money than their degree holding counterparts. In many cases the automatic respect that is given to many degree such as physicists, chemists, biologists, doctors, lawyers, and engineers is subconsciously passed on to many other degrees that do not hold the same barrier to entry standards that the ones mentioned here require. While its perfectly fine to have a degree in psychology, humanities, art history, liberal arts and others if that is indeed what you want to do, these degrees are not nearly as serviceable as one of the skill positions I previously mentioned. And accordingly, the fact that you slacked your way through a few philosophy classes should not earn you more social respect than if you help build the countries roads.
The second reason is tied directly to the first, and that reason is simply, many people go to college because they have been told all their life that if they do not go to college then they will be poor the rest of their lives. This statement is simply not true. While it may be that someone is both poor and degree-less, one does not imply the other. Life choices, both good and bad, have just as much if not more influence on your earning potential than the degree you hold. However, many young people don't know this because they are constantly told they must go to college in order to make a good living. If indeed college is not right for you, you will only make yourself miserable in the long run trying to fit a mold that was not made to contain you.
The college party life has been a part of American and now world popular culture since movies became big business. Dad's, uncle's, and older cousins regal sons, nephews, and younger cousins of the wild and crazy times to be had at college parties with young and willing women. Popular culture depicts it as being the greatest part of your life, and social media shows the wild and wonderful time that everyone is having while at college. And to an extent this is true, the girls are beautiful, the drinks are cheap, and illicit substances are plentiful. However, what is not pictured is the number of people who are dismissed from their respective schools for lack of academic standing due to partying interfering with their studies, the cost of destroyed property after a kegger, and the life altering arrest record that can severely limit career opportunities, not to mention the dangerous substance dependency that can be developed very quickly.
The fear of missing out is another reason that people might go to college even though its not advisable for them. They see friends from high school taking trips to Europe that they paid for by simply signing up for another student loan. They see the parties that look so enticing from the outside, the freedom to make one's own choices to be explored, and they say yes. After all, you are only young once right? However, the weakness of youth is often the inability to see how choices made today will affect them further down the line.
This has developed into a bit longer post than I intended, so I will stop it here, but let me know your thoughts on this matter. There is no doubt that first world countries still need people to build the bridges, dig the ditches, and pave the roads, and these skills should not be looked down on. I have learned myself the satisfaction that is gathered from a hard days work, and seeing what you have managed to accomplish with your own hands, and I say this as someone who as been to the other side of the world, and has been published in several scientific journals. For progress to be made, we must have thinkers and innovators, and along with them we must also have people to build what has been thought up.
Shalom
Image Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/01/helen-flanagan-plays-sexy_n_2596459.html
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/20-ways-to-ensure-frat-stardom