Should some form of college be required for all?

Hellen Akinyi
Staff Writer

I would love to say that I am first-generation student but I can’t. I don’t know how much pressure the first-generation students have knowing they have to make it either way since they have so many people rooting for them. That sounds like it is a lot.

That leads me to my next question: do you think college should be compulsory? I ask because I know people who never went to college but “made it” regardless. I also know people who went to college, got their degree and became the best version of themselves. But again, if we make college compulsory, won’t we just be forcing people into unnecessary debts?

College is quite expensive, especially here. My one semester tuition here could definitely allow me to attend at least four semesters back in my country. This means I could have my degree with my freshman year’s tuition alone and have so much more left.

Knowing how much we spend on my tuition sorts of puts pressure on me. I mean I don’t know anything but one thing is for sure, I have to have my degree and with a good GPA. I chose to attend college, twice, actually but only because I felt like I needed a degree. And not just any degree, but a degree that would allow me to pay back the loans, since college is like an investment. At least that’s how I see it.

I chose this path for me. Just like how I wanted this is the same way some people choose not to attend college, or how some choose to drop out after a semester or so. That’s totally fine. We are all built differently.

I know some people still look at people without a degree differently and undermine them, thinking a degree is everything. I don’t think it is. But here I am, getting one. Why? Because I want to. No one forced me and I think that’s why I am here, unlike if I was forced, I would have probably dropped out by now.

With college comes a struggle with our mental health. Although some of us can handle that, some of us really can’t. Maybe that’s why some decide not to even bother with college because of all that pressure. At the end of the day, we get to decide if want to go to college or no and I think that’s the freedom that most of us would want to have.

Header photo courtesy of Flickr.