By Kenneth Crenshaw Jr./Delta Opinion Editor

College is not for everyone. People are required to attend school from Kindergarten through Grade 12. After graduation, students are free to use the knowledge learned in the classroom to go out and make a living for themselves. 

Some students are fortunate enough to find a career to begin after high school. Other students joined the armed services. There is no single path for someone to take in order to find success, however continuing education can provide a way for an individual to create opportunities. 

There are various motives behind continuing your education at the college level. Some students had already planned to attend college and took the necessary steps to get to their desired school. Majority of athletes who desire to make it to the professional level, use college as a way to gain experience and exposure to separate themselves from the rest. 

Some students express not wanting to go to school but feel it’s a necessity to have a degree in order to thrive in today’s financial climate. 

Avery Satterfield and Madison Junion, both spoke about feeling societal pressures from social media to finish school. Current trends are debating if school is worth the expenses, is it too time consuming, and many debate if school is preparing students for a successful future. 

Students also talk about their family as the ones who encourage them to go get a degree. Some also express feeling tremendous pressure from their parents to not only go to college but excel. This pressure weighs heavily on certain students far more than others. The commitment to pursuing a degree may be the condition for family members to support you. 

If they do not have a college degree are they still confident in your ability to create a successful career? Avery said, “Absolutely not!” Madison also agreed that a college degree is a step in the right direction to creating a successful life for yourself. 

I asked Madison and Avery if they were learning useful tools in order to be successful in their future career. They both explained that the first few years of college felt “pointless” because the requirements at our current lilberal arts school were to finish several general education courses. After those prerequisites, classes are more concentrated toward your degree field. 

The minimal requirements to be able to secure an entry level position has become significantly more difficult now than in years prior. Soon a bachelor’s degree will carry the weight of a high school diploma. This means that the expected standard by employers has grown just as inflation and unemployment rates have. 

There are several students like myself who attended college without any set plan of action to achieve a career. Many students are still unsure of what career they want to have or what’s best for their personality. The first few years of college while you’re taking your general education courses, this may provide a sample of what’s offered and help guide the individual to where he or she fits best. Also, there isn’t any final commitment to a degree field you desire. If they have time in their academic calendar to change degrees, then they have the power and potential to do so. 

In conclusion, college isn’t for everyone. After speaking with students here at the college and receiving many stories and explanations why they’ve chosen to achieve academic success. It does look fantastic on your resume that you’ve completed the big commitment of graduation. This is an entire journey in itself. Students are the investments as well. Pursuing a higher education furthers your efforts to becoming a capable and successful person in society.