“Only the educated are free.” -Epictetus

The challenge we are working on this month is about education. As the son of a high school principal, I have always placed an emphasis on education. My mom also worked in Detroit Public Schools as a registered nurse, and once she got her master’s degree she taught health as well. My parents have always told me and showed me that higher education is important as well. My parents both pursued higher degrees in my childhood, my father getting a doctorate and my mother getting a master’s. So I actually saw my parents go to school just like I was going to school (well not exactly JUST like, slight difference between getting a doctorate and the 4th grade. Lol.) Growing up, unlike many Detroiters, college was seen as a requirement to me. With Detroit having a “plant culture”, college was not seen as needed to many because you could historically get a great job at a plant, so the college culture wasn’t as strong as it should have been in my opinion. I looked at college as the next step after high school, like high school was next after middle school. As an adult, I understand that college is not the right path for everyone, and I think you don’t need college to be educated, especially in the internet age.

Granted, you are much more likely to find a better job, and on average you will earn more in a lifetime with a bachelor’s degree. But for my generation, it seems that the bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma. In previous generations, especially in Detroit, all a person had to do was graduate high school and they would land a job at a plant making enough to support a spouse, a house and children. But the rise in cost of living combined with the relative stagnation of wages dissolved that idea. Now, a high school diploma can usually only get you a relatively low paying job and the jobs that pay more are highly competitive. Getting a bachelor’s degree helps, but usually out of college you will still get a relatively low paying job, although it will be higher than if you only had a high school diploma. And of course certain professions, like a doctor or lawyer, you can’t become without getting a bachelor’s (and that’s just the beginning). For people who want careers like that, college is a necessity. But for others, college could only be a hindrance.

For one, the cost is ridiculous. Yes that is the accurate word to describe it. Costs vary at different schools, but they can range from around, on average, 10k to around 70k, and that’s just for one year. Many people won’t make 70k working full time for 2 years. So for 4 years, costs can range from about 40k to about 280k. And costs are going up every year. The idea behind it is that you can come out of college with a good job and pay that amount back in due time. But the reality is that most people coming out of college won’t make nearly enough to pay off their college loans quickly. Interest piles up and they enter a hamster wheel of debt payments and accrued interest. Also keep in mind this is only undergrad. If you want a career that requires further education, you have to take out more loans and enter more debt, hoping that you can get a job that helps you pay it back. Reality is, only certain industries can offer a job out of college that pays a lot. For instance, if you major in finance, you can get a job on wall street and make a very good salary (over 6 figures for some entry level positions, based on performance) which can help you pay off your loans rather quickly. But say for instance you went to school to be a teacher, that first teaching job will not be enough to pay off your loans quickly. In fact, you may even have to postpone payment (if possible) until you can get a raise. Higher education has become like a corporation, especially with the newer, “for-profit” schools like University of Phoenix (if you haven’t seen the John Oliver show about these types of schools, please do.) So when deciding on college, you must consider the cost factor, and if you will get a return on your investment.

For some people, college isn’t necessary because they have a great skill. With skills like fixing cars, entertainment, sales or labor, a college degree is usually not a necessary expense. If I can fix cars well, I just need a repair certification and I can have a job that will always be required in society. If I can sing, dance, rap, play a sport, act or entertain in other ways, college would also not necessarily be a requirement. In fact I can’t think of another industry other than entertainment where non-college graduates make such a large sum of money. Sales is also another skill that doesn’t always require college. The skills of sale can be taught, but some people have a knack for selling and presenting that is natural. For them, they could start at a sales job at 18 and be successful (without the debt of college mind you). Also, labor is always required, but less and less as technology advances. These skills can help a person create a niche that makes them special and they can profit off of it. Random example, rapper/producer Dr. Dre did not get a bachelor’s degree, but used his skills in music to create a niche in the entertainment industry. Usually, especially in his prime, you could tell a Dr. Dre beat by how it sounds, and his name was synonymous with high quality music. He teamed up with other professionals, most likely college grads, to help him diversify his empire which now makes him almost a billionaire, if he hasn’t passed that mark yet. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg did not finish college, but because of their great computer skills, became billionaires. These are examples of how using a great skill can replace the need for college, as long as the person knows their skill and refines it.

To me, freedom is one of the biggest advantages college can give you. With a degree, you have a lot more options for careers than just with a high school diploma. You are also in better shape if the company folds or lays off workers, because you have a degree that can be used in other areas. With only a high school diploma, you are limited in the jobs you can even apply for, and technology is replacing a lot of the jobs that high school only grads can get. There are already places where you can order your food with a tablet, which replaces the need for a waiter/cashier. Technology is part of the reason there are less jobs in Detroit, because machines took the place of people on the assembly line in the name of efficiency and cost reduction. Also you are less likely to find a job that also provides benefits, as these are usually higher paying jobs. If a person works at McDonalds, they start off at minimum wage. They can work their way up to manager, which will take years usually and is competitive among other workers who want a pay raise, but the salary for the manager is less than the starting salary of a college grad in most instances. Going to college will usually give you more choices, more freedom and more stability.

In conclusion, I encourage people to choose a career that makes them happy. If your dream requires college, do not hesitate to get a degree. But do not just get a degree because you think it is the thing you are supposed to do. Determine where you want to go in life, you may find out a 4-year college is not the best path for you. With the way society is progressing, I think college will be needed more and more, but there will always be people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Will Smith, LeBron James, etc., that will not need a college degree to be successful because of great skill. You may have a skill you always excelled at that makes you happy. Refine it, and you may be surprised how far you can go with it.