Growing up with the idea that every kid must attend college, students may find themselves debating whether higher education is worth the debt that comes along with it.

By Abby Clough | Reporter

As soon as the average teenager enters high school, the onslaught of questions, tests and recruitments for college are constant. Expectations of college attendance for the members of the current generation are extremely high. For many students, their upbringing revolves around higher education, securing a job and providing a stable income for their later years. However, most students find universities extremely expensive to invest in. Many young people put all they have into college and are often shocked to find they have no job and a mountain of debt post-graduation. Some may wonder if attending college is worth the financial exhaustion.

Many say college is the ultimate life experience. Friends are made, true love is found and college parties are attended. The majority of college students are in their twenties, the age of discovering who you are and what you are made of.

People commonly make the mistake of judging someone by their level of education. When someone graduates high school and decides against higher education, it could be for any number of reasons. It might not be the way they want to live their life or they may not be financially stable enough to invest in a college education.  Everyone is in this world for a reason and anyone can succeed, whether or not they have a degree.

Although it is understandable why one would choose to pursue a higher education, the national landslide in the labor market makes it extremely difficult for an inexperienced graduate to acquire a job to offset the costs of college. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the actual wages of young college students decreased by 5.4 percent from 2000 to 2011. Education has improved the world as we know it today but in this age of technology and sophisticated design it is very easy to fall behind in the rat race. Many people, young and old, may decide it is better to avoid the race altogether.

With talk of higher education starting at an early age, students know the importance of attending college after high school. However, most are uninformed of the many different venues one can explore. The endless possibilities for the future include starting a small business, exploring the world, joining the military or traveling with Americorp. There are various ways to find and support oneself and their community without the crutch of college.