Do you believe that attending college is important? Why or why not? by Kaveh

Do you believe that attending college is important? Why or why not? by Kaveh - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

When my grandparents were in high school, attending college was not requisite for finding a job that would support a household. Over time, that has become the case and currently a bachelors degree, at minimum, is essential. While I do know plenty of older people who have had successful careers without a college degree, I don’t know any young people who are doing well without one. It is like an insurance policy. Better safe than sorry.

There are some interesting statistical tables that show how much more financial compensation individuals with college degrees will make over their lifetime then ones without. While this measures monetary gain, things like personal happiness and life satisfaction are much more difficult to measure and display on a graph.

These may or may not be good reasons to pursue post-secondary education. Since I plan to attend graduate school, college is fundamental. I must obtain a bachelors degree, and I must do well in order to achieve my educational and career goals.

You might say that I am fortunate because I enjoy studying science and math, which is the bulk of my coursework. It all makes sense to me and is interesting. However, there are liberal arts requirements that I have to “endure“. These are supposed to make me “well-rounded“. However, I would prefer not to be round, but rather pointy and sharp! Unfortunately, that is not an option as an undergraduate.

Getting through these courses is my “challenge“. It is necessary for me to put myself in another state of mind where I believe that the courses are important and valuable in order to devote enough energy and attention to them. I am aware that proposals have been made to eliminate general education requirements and I would support them.

For now, I am staying focused on the goal. There is more to attending college then just fulfilling major requirements. I am learning a tremendous amount through my extracurricular activities. These include: varsity water polo, dormitory RA and treasurer, chemistry tutoring, and crew for our college educational farm and garden.

Because of the Coronavirus, most students have gone home. That isn’t an option for me, and I find myself in the unique position of maintaining the farm and garden with very little assistance. It is laborious, but I am up to the task. I will likely remain on campus this summer in order to care for the animals, harvest produce, and sell it at the farmers market. While this was not my plan for summer 2020, I need to stay flexible and respond to needs as they arise.

Clearly, attending college is more than just classes. I do believe that attending college is important. I should try to get the most out of the college experience just as I should try to get the most out of my life experience as possible. In this way, regardless of the compensation and statistical data, I will be able to have the satisfaction of knowing I did the best I could and tried my hardest. That is the most important of all.