Student Advisory Board Spotlight: Naomi Hendershot

Each month, GSPA will feature work from Student Advisory Board members working at high school newspapers, news websites, newsmagazines, literary magazines, broadcast channels and yearbooks.

A four-year degree is not for me

Many high school graduates feel pressure to attend college and get four-year degrees instead of choosing viable alternative paths.

By Naomi Hendershot

Illustration by Audrey Kennedy 

About 69.7% of high school graduates enroll in college in pursuit of a four-year degree to enter their desired field upon graduation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For other students, going immediately into college is not desirable. But in American society, there is a negative stigma around high school graduates who choose an alternative option. According to a New York Times article, 70% of high school students say it is a bad idea not to go to college right after high school.

This stigma is false and damaging. Students shouldn’t be looked down upon for not attending college right after high school.

Attending a four-year college, apart from not being the ideal path for every high school graduate, can be a less-than-worthwhile investment.

Often, those students who graduate with bachelor’s degrees are not employed in the field they study for — or worse, not employed at all. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 34% of college graduates are underemployed, meaning that those students who have bachelor’s degrees may be working jobs that do not even require the four-year degree they worked so ardently for.

The students who do graduate are also often left with an immense amount of student debt. According to an article on CNBC Make It, 70% of college students graduate with student loans. The average debt for a college graduate was $28,650 in 2016 and has continued to rise.

Dependent upon the job and location, the average starting salary for a college graduate, as of 2018, is $50,390 a year. Considering some of the debt students are left with, it often takes years to pay this off.

For many, paying an exorbitant amount of money to end up not employed in the field they desire is a slap in the face to all their efforts.

Thankfully, there are many alternative options that students can explore after high school that don’t require getting a bachelor’s degree.

Students can attend vocational schools and pursue one of many trades, including construction work, careers as electricians, welders and so on. According to an editorial from The Quad, trade professions are currently in high demand.

High school graduates can also join the military, start businesses or go to a community college as a cheaper alternative to a traditional college education — all pathways that should be promoted more in high schools. Yes, continuing to become an educated individual is important after high school, but at what cost?

For some students, the psychological toll of attending a four-year institution may outweigh the benefits of attending one. According to an American College Health Association report, 64% of students who drop out of college do so for mental health reasons.

Attending college shouldn’t be something that students feel they have to do. They should go to college because they want to.

To help those students who choose not to attend college after high school, high school advisers and counselors should advise students on alternative options instead of just pushing one path for all.

More high schools should inform their students of the many options available to them post-graduation, ensuring that high schools are sending their graduates off into the world prepared for whatever path they choose.

This story originally appeared on ODYSSEYnewsmagazine.net, the website for ODYSSEY Media Group at Clarke Central High School.