Earning a degree or diploma from an accredited university provides a good deal and an invaluable lesson for life on almost any measure for graduates. They not only earn a degree and gain knowledge from the university but also learn workforce-related and marketable skills to showcase their abilities and potential in their respective fields. By the same token, individuals without any degree or diploma from a university can opt for a trade school or a “gap year” to boost their upward mobility and potential in the job market. Therefore, not every student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Instead, students need to focus on developing interpersonal skills and intellectual abilities after their college education while they balance the demands of a busy life. Building on it, this paper argues that although a degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. The paper also explores that instead of focusing on earning a degree from university immediately after completing college education, students may benefit from a trade school or a “gap year” while indulging themselves in learning some skills and abilities to help them think and act more intensely about what field they should pursue and how they would accomplish in their career.
Value of a University Education
Earning a degree from the university after high school under any circumstances is a wise investment. People with degrees earned from top-notch universities considerably have higher chances of high-paid employment opportunities and making money over a lifetime than those who have a high school diploma. Experience at the college level provides students with numerous prospective opportunities to maximize their professional networks and career development choices as well as interpersonal growth which serve as the satisfaction of meeting a lifelong goal. This experience maximizes when a student further works on it at the university level under the supervision of a pool of professors who care about their student’s success, make learning engaging, prevent students’ excessive dropout, encourage pupils to thrive in their areas of study and engage them in career development opportunities that allow students to get benefitted from the positive outcomes of the university education (Barefoot, 2004).
For most students, higher education is a worthwhile investment in the bright future of their lives that would secure them occupational prestige, safe jobs, retirement benefits, and even greater happiness and contentment. The higher level of education engages the students in challenges on the one hand and the discovery of new things and information in the world on the other hand. It offers several advantages to the recipients at the higher institutions including networking opportunities, professional expansion of the vision, social and cultural development, and the development of independence by creating awareness about the disciplined and prospective life. The skills learnt during the academic journey in the university provide the graduates with personal and professional growth which prepare them for a well-paying employment opportunity in today’s economy.
Knowledge Makes a Degree Valuable, Not Marketable Skill
Students wonder what they would do after completing their high school education, so they enroll themselves in universities because they think it is the best option for everyone after completing high school. However, they should not be encouraged to attend university directly after graduation because some students may not be ready for the challenges and expectations that come with higher education at the universities. The National Center for Education Statistics has presented a report that more than 30% of the students enrolled in universities get dropped out of their institutions each year (Chen, 2013). Students struggling to adapt to the rigorous coursework of higher education are transferred to other academic institutions because they are unable to meet the criteria of the coursework in the top-notch and accredited institutions, they enrolled themselves before. The reason is that life at the university level requires rigorous time management skills and an independent learning style which provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career. Thus, taking a gap year or attending trade college may benefit students after completing their high school education because they can explore their goals and interests before making an important decision in their academic life.
Refuting the argument that a degree earned from an accredited university can open doors of a myriad of opportunities, a degree that only offers marketable skills but not the value of knowledge that spans its theoretical as well as practical aspects is of no use for a student who wants to thrive actively in the ever-emerging world. Marketable skills can help a person get an in-demand and lucrative job in various industries but cannot earn him the ability to perform and solve problems as knowledge is the foundation of a desirable and valuable cognitive state for learning, understanding, and analyzing the information present in the world (Natale & Doran, 2012). Degrees whether undergraduate or graduate should be knowledge-rich because in this way students can expand on their interpersonal skills, professional abilities, awareness, literacy, decision-making skills, and passion while pursuing their education. Moreover, students need to learn to adapt their knowledge according to the prospects of the changing market in the corporate world because knowledge is valued more than anything in changing times. Thus, gaining tangible and hands-on knowledge in the field of study is more important than acquiring marketable and transferable skills because knowledge provides the theoretical as well as practical aspects of the situation in a more realistic way.
Importance of a Trade School or Gap Year in a Student’s Life
Students who finish high school can opt for trade schools as they offer practical and career-focused training under the supervision of highly qualified and well-trained instructors. These schools offer lower tuition costs which can be an advantage for the students who save their money and resources for pursuing higher education. So, the investment in trade schools will be worth the money and quality of training provided at such institutions. Moreover, trade schools including vocational institutions and technical colleges offer shorter degree pathways than 4-years college or university programs along with hands-on training in small classrooms that ensure individual surveillance under the supervision of instructors which also enhances students’ learning experiences (Catterall & Stern, 1986). These schools also offer career service opportunities at flexible schedules which save students’ time and money as well as enhance their employability. Students after attending trade schools can pursue in-demand jobs in numerous prospective fields including construction, healthcare, management, and technology.
In addition, a gap year after finishing high school can help students improve their confidence and performance in academics. It can be a valuable opportunity for individuals who want to pursue their education as they can gain new skills, explore their interests, work on their maturity, and volunteer for social work for the betterment of society. A gap year can also be a lucrative opportunity for students who want to travel the world to expand their horizons and for individuals who want to work to improve their economic conditions before pursuing their higher education. Furthermore, a gap year also provides a break to the high school students from the pressure, burden, and routine of the academic life which would inspire and motivate students to better prepare themselves for the higher level of education. Students who want to pursue their passion, interests, and dreams can opt for a year gap for their personal growth as it could be a time to do new things and learn new skills (Wellons, 2013). In a nutshell, attending trade schools and opting for a gap year after sitting behind the school desk for years can enhance students’ growth and provide them with potential opportunities to push them out of their comfort zone.
Conclusion
Quality education is a weapon for individuals that they can use to combat any problem in their lives so that the expectations of a high-quality life can be achieved. Higher education trains the human mind to be an efficient thinker and decision-maker so that individuals can learn the skills required for the market or organizations in the corporate world. This level of education combines education being provided at high school, tertiary, and college levels to help individuals form and thrive in their careers once they are graduates. The higher education level also allows individuals to gain marketable skills so that students can make their earnings after their university education. However, earning a degree from the university directly after finishing high school is not a wise option because a student cannot discover himself and his interests that could train him on real-life expectations. So, a gap year would provide a myriad of opportunities to work on and a trade college can teach lots of valuable skills and abilities that students can apply to their future careers. These decisions in a student’s life can help him put his happiness, well-being, purpose, academic goal, professional interests, and positivity in academics as well as in the workforce the ultimate epicenter in his life.
References
Barefoot, B. O. (2004). Higher education’s revolving door: Confronting the problem of student drop out in US colleges and universities. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 19(1), 9–18.
Catterall, J. S., & Stern, D. (1986). The effects of alternative school programs on high school completion and labor market outcomes. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 8(1), 77–86.
Chen, X. (2013). STEM Attrition: College Students’ Paths into and out of STEM Fields. Statistical Analysis Report. NCES 2014-001. National Center for Education Statistics.
Natale, S. M., & Doran, C. (2012). Marketization of education: An ethical dilemma. Journal of Business Ethics, 105, 187–196.
Wellons, S. (2013). Give me a break: A study of the gap year.
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