With so many options available for college, students may not even take not attending into consideration. Collage courtesy of freshmen Cadence Flickinger. 

  For years, students at San Luis Obispo High School have been fed the message that college is the only way to succeed in the working world. But now as the world changes, perceptions of education must change with it.

  According to a survey conducted in May, only one-in-four U.S. adults say it’s extremely important to have a four-year college degree in order to get a well-paying job in today’s economy. However, statistics like these go against the opinion of some students at SLOHS.

  “I strongly believe students should attend college because college provides diverse opportunities for every individual to discover majors and jobs that suit their passions. Additionally, college provides the necessary, critical thinking skills to succeed in life. Even the most basic things like daily life skills can be achieved by attending college,” said freshmen Anne Song.

  In California, to attend an in-state, public, four-year college on average costs a little under twenty five thousand dollars. According to the 2020 United States Census, 46 percent of college graduating Californians are in debt from getting their degree. On average, it can take anywhere from five to twenty years to pay this off.

  A more local substitute for this debt is Cuesta College. Students can even graduate SLOHS early to get a head start in the work world while still getting a community college degree.

  “I’m graduating early pretty much just to work, but it’s also for a break from school…I plan on doing Cuesta over the summer, which isn’t covered by the Cuesta promise, hence [why I] want to work to cover the cost. Even if I wasn’t going straight to Cuesta I would’ve graduated early, no reason not to,” said senior Sage Meeks. 

  There are plenty of jobs that don’t require college degrees but have it as an option. With around seventy percent of American adults not having a college degree, it’s clear that one could survive without one. 

  “I didn’t graduate from college until I was almost fifty. I went to college right out of high school, and I got disillusioned and sidetracked with things like marriage and children. All those years before I went back to school, people assumed that I had a college degree. I always corrected them. Once I graduated from college I didn’t think it would matter that much, but I did feel different. I felt like I had something others didn’t have,” said College and Career Specialist Colleen Martin. 

  With many options other than four year colleges, SLOHS students may no longer need debt to thrive in this world. 

Sources: pewresearch.org educationdata.org ticas.org bestcolleges.com