Why should I get a degree?

It's funny. I graduated high school in 2010. The main thing our guidance counselors shoved into our brains was that we had to get a degree to succeed. This may be true if you become a doctor or maybe a lawyer, but other degrees do not have the same output. Success tends to be measured by happiness and money. Degrees such as education, criminal justice, and others do not have the same income as others (like accounting, law, pre-med/medical school, etc.). 

So what is the purpose of getting a degree if that's true? Why put yourself into debt? What is the benefit of getting a degree? 

Honestly, it's up to the person. For example, my dream job is to be a professor. For me to do that, I have to get a master's degree to teach at a community college (associate/bachelor level) and a doctorate to teach at a university (undergraduate and graduate). For me to achieve my dream job, I have to get a degree. It also means that I get to go heavily in debt. I regret not doing better in high school and getting just a hair higher (literally just like a few points, like .1 of a point) of a GPA. I would have received more grants and scholarships. Instead, I'm stuck with a heavy federal student loan debt. It'll be worth it after I finish my doctorate and get a job (and work for maybe 10 years). 

Another example is my husband. My husband has never been to college. He went to a trade school in high school that taught him how to be a mechanic (on top of prior knowledge he had). He worked as a mechanic for about three years before he decided to change careers. He became a police officer. He worked as a non-certified police officer for about 7-8 months before attending the academy. The academy was paid for by the department so there was not any out of pocket costs except a few odds and ends (toiletries, sweats, etc.). He attended the academy for 16 weeks (Sunday night to Friday evening). He's been out of the academy for about 4 years. He currently makes $17/hour.  He didn't have to go to college to have a career that allowed him to make a decent amount of money.

So the point to these examples? It is genuinely something you have to discover for yourself. You have to decide what you want to aim to be and go for it. Some paths may lead to trade school or college/university. Some paths may lead to not having to attend any type of training, trade, or college/university. Whatever makes you happy in the end is worth traveling the road.

If you have any questions about what path is right for you, feel free to comment below or e-mail me. I am more than happy to sit down (or over the internet) and talk about where you want to be in life. We can talk about what path you should/need to take. You deserve success.