This brief essay will address the aforementioned contemporary issue and its impact on youth. This would explain the significance of having a degree in the face of rising dropout rates, which have been influenced by success stories from college dropouts themselves.

Before we start discussing the complexities and the stigma surrounding college dropouts, we should first discuss "Survivorship Bias".

Survivorship bias is the tendency of people to overestimate their success by stressing the fortunate overachievers who beat the odds. That is often why people reference Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs as sources of inspiration but fail to recognize the unlucky populace. The names stated previously are the exception, not the standard. If these events were common, then there wouldn't be 'success stories'.

More and more, people are earning large amounts whilst being in high school. This can be accredited to e-sports, streaming, vlogging, and commissions. Tiktok, one of the biggest social media apps right now, has a creator fund as a source of income for content creators within the platform. To add to that, the money they receive from brand collaboration and promotion can easily beat most college graduates today. These people who gain a lot of followers for doing anything from dancing to comedy to even vlogging have been the source of both admiration and jealousy from the youth. 

Knowing this, we can establish that you can easily become successful without a degree by being an ‘influencer.' The average influencer can earn between $30,000 and $100,000 per year. While entry-level positions of engineers, accountants, and nurses are around $39,281, $51,040, and $80,010 respectively. Kylie Jenner, a 'self-made' billionaire who also did not attend college, is one of the most prominent 'influencers’. In the following paragraphs, I made the distinction between people who never went to college with those who dropped out of college. 

Rihanna, Kobe Bryant, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift are all well-known singers and athletes in their respective fields. Some of the people mentioned had promising careers in their teenage years and because of that, they opted not to go to college. This raises the question, “what do celebrities think about going to college?”. Nicki Minaj, a multi-awarded rapper, never attended college but has expressed she wanted to go to college. Will Smith, a respected actor, was reported to have turned down a scholarship grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Additionally, there are also successful college dropouts in the 'showbiz' industry, some of which are Cameron Diaz, Kanye West, Brad Pitt, Madonna, and Ellen Degeneres. The majority of them went to college before deciding to pursue their passion. It is important to note that Madonna was a straight-A student prior to college.

While we can gush over celebrities without degrees, let us give credit to those who had a degree. To list a few names: Mitski, Rachel McAdams, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Hawking, Tim Cook, and Doug McMillon. Some of these are singers, actors, hosts, CEOs, and physicists. Mitski released two self-released albums in her collegiate years while managing to balance both aspects of music and education. 

Earlier, I categorized successful people who never went to college, people who became successful after dropping out of college, and individuals that became successful during and after collegiate years. In this portion, we will spotlight successful people that dropped out in college and later continued their education. I also included successful people who became successful even if they never attended college but later chose to pursue a degree. Some of them are Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, Rebel Wilson, and Shaquille O’Neal. Basketball athletes usually source Kobe Bryant as an inspiration to forego college but fail to recognize Shaquille O'Neal that pursued college despite his success in the game. Mayim Bialik, most notable for playing Amy Farah in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, re-entered the world of acting while raising her baby to ensure health insurance.  Unfortunately, even if you have a Ph.D., like Mayim Bialik, you can never escape the grasp of capitalism.

To become a successful doctor or engineer, you need a degree. Though being an affluent businessman needs no degree nor requirements, certain workspaces do. In order to become a successful accountant, you first need to obtain a degree in accountancy and then you need to become a Certified Public Accountant. This process is applicable to lawyers, doctors, and even teachers. Would you rather choose a professional practitioner of medicine or a quasi-medicine expert? Though that answer may differ in culture, the technological edge doctors have is the main reason they are the prime option. Licensed doctors also lower the risk of scams as they also have the equal danger of losing their board license.

Now, that we have properly established that college may or may not be a factor to success, it is not as righteous as it seems to be. While community and local colleges or universities have been more cost-friendly than top universities, there are still some that cannot study despite the more affordable tuition. Even to this day, college is viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can only be maximized by the youth. Most children that never get to study in college are those that stopped studying while in elementary. The reasons differ but the root of the problem is poverty. Corrupt government officials that believe the 'youth is the future' while turning a blind eye to the opportunity-deprived adolescents making ends meet. In America, there is a term called 'student loan debts', where students take out loans to study in college for the sake of investing in their future. The payment of these incurred debts usually takes decades' worth of employment that raises questions if the loan was worth it? 

For the average person, like you and me, attaining stardom status is like finding a four-leaf clover. Something that seems so achievable yet is so difficult to receive. While we can fixate on the success stories of celebrities without degrees, will we really know how many more failed?

In the pursuit of online success, how many more failed compared to the lucky ones? If celebrities are already successful, why lament over the fact they weren't able to attend college or why the continued pursuit of a college degree?  

The only way underprivileged people, being born without a silver spoon, can become successful is through college. The painstakingly cruel institution that cares only for creating top-notch students without regard to their mental health. Entering top universities, which will hopefully give graduates an edge just because of their school's reputation. College, whether we like it or not, is a crucial aspect of success for the ordinary citizen. A place to foster and grow their network that may benefit them later down the line. A place to discover friends for life or friends for the season. A necessary place that nurtures success for people, like you and me.

For my amazing children,

Christian Gran

College is what most of us see as our futures after graduating high school. all throughout our lives, we've been told "go to college, get a degree and land a good job" 

college can leverage us in life beyond learning by the book. it can also serve as a place to network with people who can be beneficial to our futures and us to theirs, but college can only take you so far...

CONS:

According to imoney ph, A semester of 18 units in a span of 18 weeks will cost around ₱116,000. Say it's a trimester, that's roughly ₱300,000. Multiply that into 4 years of college and that's roughly ₱1.2 Million. these prices can lead to most people taking out a student loan and going into debt. college is expensive, no wonder they call education priceless.  

College is *still* an elitist institution. this is one of capitalism's major drawbacks. instead of being something that can elevate and educate the population, some collages still choose to admit those with higher net worths rather than those with high grades. 

A 2019 article from The Guardian states "Students who can’t get into  schools based on academic merit don’t change once they’re in class. They can’t do the work, and are generally uninterested in gaining the skills they need in order to do well" because they did not even put in the work in the first place, which is unfair to students who actually deserve those slots.

According to Vox “While more are going to college as a whole, the gap between the affluent and poor has widened — and the value of a college degree is declining” Colleges see their students as customers, and the customer is always right.

Yes, there are careers that require degrees but these careers are very few and it's competitive. a college degree won’t guarantee a high paying job. It won't even make you a skilled leader. Developing skills such as leadership, decision making, people and resource management takes real practice and experience. These are skills which cannot be acquired in the classroom.

Just a few decades ago, only a small fraction of the overall population got a degree from university and this degree therefore had a high worth.

However, in our current state of the world, so many people attend college that such a degree is nothing special anymore.

college education is still considered to be the standard for good education, but it isn’t proven that it’s the best. in my opinion, too many people buy into the social narrative that college education is the best way to go for everyone. Attending college isn’t necessarily the mind-expanding endeavor it’s always just been made out to be.

another issue with college is that students don’t learn to be responsible enough. College is often quite structured and students don’t have to organize too much on their own. there’s always a set time for you yet they teach you how to “manage your time” when in reality your managing the time given to you.

many people overestimate the pros of college education. college degrees may be your entry ticket to the corporate world but your success in business rather depends on your performance in your job and after a few years in the corporate world, employers will often no longer care about your degree that much. in short, a degree is not getting the return on investment as it once did.

for so long we as a society used a college degree to measure  someones success. we’ve fed into the built-in belief that college is the right path, but is it right for you?

THEY DON'T HAVE DEGREES:

Bill Gates is a billionaire, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. he is a Harvard dropout. dropping out was a big risk but it eventually led to the founding of Microsoft, the most successful software company in the world. 

Kobe Bryant had a long 20-year playing career where he won 5 NBA Titles, was a 2-time league scoring champ, played in 18 All-Star games, and won 2 NBA Finals and 1 NBA MVP award.

now valued at $1.7 Billion, Rihanna, In addition to being a musician, now has her own beauty line, Fenty Beauty, as well as a lingerie line called Savage x Fenty. 

not to mention; Beyonce, Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Marilyn Monroe, Emma Stone, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg just to name a few. 

Yes, people may point out people with a college degree like Rebel Wilson. But I ask you, does she make more money in court as a lawyer or as an actress?

FINAL THOUGHTS:

We underestimate what we as humans can accomplish if we aren't limited to a belief that you can only go this far. 

I find it funny how college takes place at a time where we're only at the age of discovering life and finding out our potential.  People mature at different ages and different rates. Some students are ready for college at 16 and 17 and go on to do very well. Some, however, are thrown out the door at 18 into a totally new world, and just aren’t ready for it. it's like quality control at a factory, to make sure we align with society's standards, to make sure no one’s “different”

is college necessary for success? or is that just something society tells us? as a species we are born with only two fears, loud noises and falling. other fears are just learned and influenced by our environment and cultures. overall, I don't find college necessary to succeed, whatever success means to you.

Traditionally, like any other parents would say, college is really important. Having a college diploma secures a job that will help us in the future. We have been told to attend college right after high school because it will be a helpful investment given the cost of education.  

College can help us excel in our desired field of study. What they taught in college is the collection of everyone's understanding under a certain field; it could be theoretical or practical. It can also help us build networks and connections with people that might just be beneficial to us in the future and vice versa. Given the reason above, is college really just about that? How far will college take us?

CONS:

College is extremely expensive, and costs are continue to grow, leaving many college graduates with massive student loan debt.
According to the College Board, the average cost of attending an in-state public college in 2020-2021 is $10,560, while the average cost of attending a private college is $37,650. However, most students who demonstrate financial need get financial aid that covers at least a portion of the cost of attendance.

Unfortunately, many students do not obtain the financial assistance they require to fully cover their expenses. As a result, individuals must rely on unsubsidized student loans to pay for their education. Student loan debt has risen from $260 billion in 2004 to $1.7 trillion in 2021, which is a sad trend. In 2021, the average student loan debt was $38,147, which is a startling sum.
Student loan debt can have a significant influence on your life after you graduate. It can influence your employment choices and cause you to put off purchasing a home or establishing a family.

The two most important motivations for going to college are to increase one's earning potential and to sharpen one's mind. As previously stated, the value that college provides on the first front has been declining. Unfortunately, the mental benefits of higher education have been dwindling as well. 

College isn't always the mind-expanding experience that it's been portrayed to be. While it's expected that you'll be a better critical thinker, problem solver, philosopher, and so on as a result of paying your tuition, those benefits don't come instantly. According to a 2011 survey, over half of college students show no growth in their problem-solving, reasoning, or writing skills during their first two years, and more than a third see no development during their college career. Sure, the environment might help you grow, but going to college and not working hard won't miraculously improve your cognitive abilities.

SUCCESFUL PEOPLE WITHOUT DIPLOMAS:

Mark Zuckerberg drew the attention of AOL and Microsoft while still in high school by co-creating a Winamp plug-in that created personalised playlists. He passed down job offers to attend college, and from his Harvard dorm room, he created "The Facebook" in February 2004. The social networking site was a huge hit right away, and Zuckerberg dropped out of school to operate it. According to Forbes, the 36-year-old tech billionaire is worth $105 billion.

It's difficult to think this intelligent man Bill Gates is a Harvard dropout. He became interested in computer programming when he was 13 years old, and at the age of 15, he earned his first $20,000 working with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on a computer program that monitored Seattle traffic patterns. Five years later, they launched the worldwide software corporation. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $129 billion, making him the world's richest man.

OPINION ABOUT THIS:

I believe that even a job that requires diploma can be something you're good at even without attending college. In this generation that we live in, everything is online. There are free courses and programs that you can look for. Some companies may require diplomas before you get a job, but our generation is coming for a really big change. You can be a programmer even without having a degree as long as you can prove yourself worthy. 

By the end of the day it will all go down to what you really love to do, and not something where you'll earn the biggest salary. If we are going to take a closer look lets say in the music industry, how were 15th century musicians able to compose such beautiful compositions? How can they play instruments better than modern musicians? It is because they spend almost their entire life learning and doing the things that they love, and getting better with it through experience and criticisms.

I believe that experience is still the best teacher. We have to go through real problems and obstacles so that we may look for helpful solutions. In college, we spend most of our time worrying about school works. The pressure of not failing and eventually getting the diploma. We forget that there is more to life than that. 

  

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The obstacles and problems that we go through are mostly because of school right now. We never really have the taste of real life problems yet. Dropping out of college will instantly give you approximately 2 million pesos that can be used in different opportunities. 

If my son/daughter's goal is to do something that he/she loves, I will leave him/her be. I will never pressure my kids to go to college because it is not really a necessity for me. We were born to live with the fear that without diplomas, we can only go so far.

If my kids really want to do something that they love, but requires a degree or diploma, I would still strongly suggest college. 

If it is something that you can learn as early as possible like music or career in sports, I will guide him through it. College might not just be the best investment. It is more on support and instruments that they need without forgetting to expose them on the problems and realities of life. 

To sum everything up, I don't find college a necessity. There is more to life out there. I believe that there are some people and experiences that we failed to meet and see because we are centered solely on school.


Jaemielle D. Ilac
12-C

 

BODY

With that said, our common knowledge, beliefs, and values towards life has a big contribution on an individual’s decision making. Us Filipino’s we are raised to have such key values to live by, on of which is respect, which is very much existent in our culture. Living by our culture and tradition somehow became our way of respect towards our family. We were born to have a mindset to follow tradition. 

It is very much recognizable that most live by the fear of being rejected by the society; afraid of being identified as different, afraid that one might not please others or their family. We live in the fear of not being able to fit in the standards of others. We seek to live each day in the contentment of being normal and follow the course of many. We choose what we think is safe, but we miss out on what we have more to offer in life. 

And to that we ask “ Is College Necessary For Success ? “, NO, As how everything in life is not guaranteed. We are educated with a mentality that good education is the key to success. Yes education is the key, but going to college is not necessary as most educational materials are very much accessible to the public nowadays as technology continues to go an upward trend in our current generation. 

A college degree does not guarantee success, as how owning a MacBook guarantee good grades, a well known shoe brand guarantee good performance, owning the latest IPhone guarantee a better connection with people, or having the hottest girl in the world guarantee the love that we deserve. It is all about how we live our lives, how we align ourselves, how we aim to live each and every single day of it. It all comes down to our dedication to succeed. How we use each day of our lives in reaching our goals.

Reflection 

What would you need years of education for if you are not passionate about what you’re pursuing?  Rather than taking up a degree why not use those years and time in improving your craft and what you are passionate about. Create mistakes and be able to learn from it without having the fear of wasting time or money. Be brave enough to separate yourself from the rest and follow your own beliefs and passion. 

As I mentioned, success is the accomplishment of one’s purpose, so identify your purpose, from there you would distinguish your definition of success. Continue to pursue what you believe is sustainable at the same time is healthy for your mental well being. “ Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success “ Herman Cain. 

Sincerely,

M. De Los Santos

College is regarded as a secure path. College provides benefits such as education, knowledge, guidance, experience, and interaction. You don't need to go to college to be successful in general. Education, in my opinion, is really vital. For people who confuse education with a degree, being educated and getting a degree are not the same thing. It's true that having a degree adds credibility to your credentials. However, this does not rule out the possibility of doing something without a degree. There are plenty of instances and inspirations out there who have reached for the stars without having earned a college diploma. You won't need a rocket science degree to believe in your dreams, pursue them, and see them through. In your life, success is whatever you define it to be. Whether it's in terms of money, happiness, enjoyment, status, or anything else. Because most others see success differently than you, it might be anything. No, college isn't required for success, but it certainly helps.

Dear son, 

What is the dream that you must abandon college to pursue it? Have you considered that college may be a means for you to achieve your dreams? 

Find security in a college education, then find a way to support your dream. A college education will give you the knowledge and tools to do anything. College gives you better chances in finding security and success, rather than without it. Your dream does not require you to quit college. Most people go to college to pursue their dreams. For example, you can study the arts in college to become a professional musician or an artist. Do you know that prestigious music companies only hire college graduates in music?

Those who you say attained success, even without a college education, are still one in a million. Most successful people doing important jobs are still comprised of those who went to college. Most of those successful individuals, who initially did not get a college education, went back to school to gain a college education if only to sustain or even expand their success.

If you are not one of those one in a million uneducated millionaires, you might end up working as blue-collar worker, if you are lucky; because, at the very least, most jobs require a second-year college experience. I’m not saying that it is bad to be a blue-collar worker if that is okay with you. You, however, won’t be living the comfortable and luxurious life that you may want if your passion, which you plan to pursue without a college education, does not give you the success that you desire. A college education gives you a better opportunity for a good fallback career if you fail at finding success with your original dream. 

Sincerely, 

Dad. 

After we graduate from High School, we all know that most of our parents will tell us to go to College right after we graduate because it's the best way to have a better future, to have a steady job and a happy life. If we go to College, we can gain knowledge of our chosen career and experience of what we want, what makes us happy, and what makes us excited. Many people will realize if College fits them because College is not necessary for everyone. After all, College is not for everyone and is not necessary to succeed in life because it's a choice if you have the passion for achieving it.

Benefits of College:

It helps you discover your purpose.

The future may appear unknown, but the College of your choice will assist you in finding a professional path that matches your interests and will push you to be the most excellent version of yourself. You'll learn to be more self-sufficient and get the skills and information you'll need for the future. Meet mentors and fellow students who urge them to contribute and give back to the community and the world.

Curiosity in College can become your opportunity.

Opportunity is your ability to pursue something you're already interested in on a greater level. Enroll in classes and sports that interest you, without the constraints of an overburdened school schedule. Meet people from all origins and cultures who share and are unique to your interests. They could even introduce you to new hobbies you weren't aware you had.

College is a big time and financial investment, but it is also a down payment on success. Earning a college degree will help you achieve your job and life objectives in general. It takes a lot of hard work, but it prepares you for a more satisfying profession and a more prosperous life.

Is College necessary for success? Will College help you? In my opinion, College is essential and helpful for you because, in College, it will help you realize if the things that you are doing in College will really make you happy and successful. When I watch a youtube video by "Kelly Wakasa," I realize that College is a necessity for us. For a short summary of Kelly Wakasa, he went to College because he wanted to experience what it is like to be a College Student, but unfortunately, he dropped out because of his grades, but after he dropped out, he made a video about the experience that he did during a student in College he said that he has learned so many things being a student college that made him successful today. It made me realize that College is not for everyone, but in College, you will learn things that you will never think that you need in your life. Right now, he has over 700,000 YouTuber subscribers and made so many collaborations with popular YouTubers. 

To wrap it up, I find College is necessary for us, but it doesn't guarantee the success that we want. In short, College is not necessary for our success because it is our choice if we're going to be successful or not.

- Mikhail Manalo

After high school college is the next option for people to learn more about their skills and what they want to be in the future. People always tell us that we need college to get a good job after college. College helps you develop your skills and learn more about yourself and your capabilities. College helps you with more life long connections and help you discover what is your passion for the further job that you will be taking.

Some people don’t agree that all people need to go to college to be successful in life. The most popular people that did not finish school are Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg. They both went to Harvard University but decided not to finish their college there. Now Bill Gates net worth 139.2 Billion Dollars while Mark Zurkerberg net worth is 125.5 Billion Dollars. 

College degree is necessary for some careers that you want to get into but it won't guarantee that they will get you your dream job. But college will help you develop yourself as a leader and learn more about the career that you want to be in the future.

My thoughts :

People tell you in High School that you need to get to a good university to get a decent job in the future. Nowadays many people that graduated from a decent college also struggle to get their dream job. This shows you that success will start with you because many people don't have money to get into university but they are the ones who are more successful in life because they work hard for their future.

Most student’s in high school always plan on the next thing which is college. Most if not all students’ dream is to go to their dream college, once they graduate high school. Some students, especially those in the 11th and 12th grade are the ones who will be under the most pressure since they are the ones who will be closer to going to college. And that is one of the downsides of college. The pressure. The stress.

Those students who fail to get into their dream college, or fail to get into any college at all, feel like they are a failure in life. But there are other ways to be successful in life than just graduating in college and finding a job that will pay minimum wage. Yes there are careers that pay great that require a degree like doctors, engineers, architects or lawyers. But these require more years put into it for you to be able to call yourself a doctor, engineer etc. For example; it requires at least five years after graduating college to be a doctor. A lawyer requires about 5 to 7 years.

But in this new age, there are other ways to be successful and earn money without having to finish college or get a degree. 

There are a lot of successful people, billionaires who have succeeded in life even if they dropped out of college. People like Bill Gates. Yes, he was a college drop out, one in Harvard no less. He is a successful entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Microsoft. He is now one of the most successful people on the planet and yet he doesn’t even have a degree. 

Another example is Mark Zuckerberg. He co-founded Facebook and he is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet he too was a college dropout in Harvard.

We need to remove this old mindset that in order to be successful in life you have to graduate college and get a degree because that is no longer true anymore in this day and age. There are other ways to make money and be successful.

Kenneth Julian U. Arro
12-C

You can surely be successful without a college degree if you have the right skills and abilities. You must be determined, self-disciplined, and goal-oriented to succeed. It is possible to succeed without a college degree. A college degree, on the other hand, will provide you more opportunities. With so many programs geared to take you from having no experience in a subject to being highly skilled, having a college degree will give you a distinct advantage. A college setting provides the kind of support that most people require to not just obtain a degree, but also to begin their lives. For many people, success begins the day they receive their degree.

Overall, education is beneficial because it provides essential experiences, allows you to gain important life lessons, and you can get further in your career. You create opportunities in life to develop your skills and talents, study and explore other disciplines, and develop experiences. It's up to you to decide which route you'll follow to get them. Finally, you must define your own success and have faith in your own potential to succeed.

- Lanz Adler V. Pua

This subject of “Is College Still Necessary For Success” has been a long-debated question and has stirred up arguments in modern families, especially in the technology era. Our country’s norm that going to college is a must to be able to find jobs easier and quicker. In my opinion, this has been a common belief of most families in the country. This norm may be true to some extent because according to Forbes 84% of the “400 Richest List” has no less than an undergraduate degree. So what can we say about this statistic? We are in the time that 16% of the 400 Richest in the World has no college degrees, we tend to think that we might actually make it as they did. Well, this fact can motivate us but let’s keep in mind that many of this 16% have honorary degrees because of their successes and endeavors. 

Getting a head start may sound very attractive because growing up adults have been saying “the early bird catches the worm”. That’s why Filipinos buy a lot of coffee to wake themselves up in the break of dawn, but there is a second part of the saying “…but the second mouse gets the cheese!”. Now, what is better? The worm or the cheese? In this saying an analogy can be derived with the early bird as the one without a college degree and the second mouse as the one with the college diploma. Yes, the early bird gets a lot of worms and was indeed the first one to start but the mouse observes and manages to learn from his previous experiences. The mouse can even learn from the bird’s mistakes and end up with the cheese. The same can be said with having a  college degree that can help to set you up for life compared to just having a head start.

Now going to the given situation that our teacher stated “Your child read about college dropouts who became successful people in their fields. He/She is now contemplating on the importance of studying well or simply focusing all efforts on something one is passionate about. College success is clearly not an indicator of success but so is pursuit of passion. Decisions on either side would of course, have risky repercussions on his attitude towards college.” If I am to become a parent, as a lover of quotes I would tell my children, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, because it takes patience, effort, and resources to build something wonderful. But I will also tell them the second part of that quote which is “…but it burned in one”. This quote “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it burned in one” can happen to anyone who is not being careful. I believe in college, students would learn more about how to avoid these mistakes by making calculated risks and taking things seriously.  Referring back to the previous paragraph’s quote “…but the second mouse gets the cheese!”, I believe that in college students will be taught how to have an in depth analysis of the mistakes of the past so that when they graduate, they will have the knowledge on how to get the “cheese”.

In my experience, the schools I attended provided me with valuable connections whether they are my best friends, friends, or even acquaintances. This network and a sense of loyalty to one another due to the reason that you carry the name of your school is something irreplaceable. After graduation, your connections may help you land a job. For graduates who plan to start a business, your network is a great way to find partners. In worst cases, when your business fails, you have a degree to use to fall back on.

Simply focusing all efforts on something one is passionate about will not be enough when talking about fallbacks because I believe in the quote that “Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than a master of one.” In school, they teach you how to be well-rounded by speaking up, presenting, taking leadership positions, collaborating, socializing, negotiating, establishing relationships, and engaging in critical thinking.  The school is a safe place to learn all these things rather than making it in the real world with real consequences. Interconnecting these skills to your knowledge will be your advantage and overall yield you better results.

In companies, many new job postings say that a bachelor's degree is not a requirement to be hired but according to Market Watch’s Capital Report, 9 out of 10 of these new jobs still go to applicants with a college degree. This shows that a college degree paves a way for a person to have financial and job security because companies think that there is a lesser risk to hiring you. When hiring a college graduate, the company will have a lesser risk due to the fact that you have learned the skills they require from a trusted institution.

when my kids become young adults and on his/her way to college, I would tell them to keep in mind that “Success Stories” like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs maybe imprinting a false sense of reality because these stories are made in a way that people would be intrigued thus creating a false illusion that success is easier to obtain. So take these informations with caution because it may be creating fictions, fantasies, and ideologies that may either enslave or motivate us for success. Having the right mindset and recognizing your own motivations is a good way to start.  In college it is safe to assume that you will learn these points. Stories are stories and made to be told. Nobody has a complete step-by-step process or a rule book to follow to reach successes in life, but with college education, at least, you will mark your beginning.

Growing up, I was taught that College is a mandatory part of landing a money-earning job. I was taught to think about my future rather than my own dreams and passions; however, College to me is now a window into understanding and discovering who I am and who I want to be. Planning the future is often frightening, surprising, and unexpected but, you shouldn’t let that hinder you in accessing new knowledge and opportunities that will help you in the long run. 

In our country, it is a belief that college is necessary for success. Given the discrimination in hiring jobs, it seems quite challenging and hard to land a job if one is not a college graduate, whether it is from a prestigious college or not. This is why most parents want to send their children to college; they believe that if their children graduates, their life will be better or in Tagalog “angat sa buhay”. In reality, that is not the case for most people. 

In reality, even those with college degrees from “big” colleges or universities need to compete with others in order to land a job. A lot of them work jobs that are not exactly in line with their majors or specialty in college. These people never pursued their passions and rather, they exchanged them for college degrees that they assume will bring food to the table and support their families. However, in the end, they will just simply settle for jobs that resolve their basic needs and necessities. 

In conclusion, colleges and universities do offer advantages, but it does not guarantee success. Therefore, college is not that necessary for success. College offers new knowledge and opportunities, but the story of an individual's success still depends on various conditions. 

There are many reasons as to why students dropout of college and one reason being financial problems. In 2015, only 40 percent of Filipinos were financially capable of paying college tuition. Not only does not having the capability to pay for college a problem for the family, it can also cause problems towards the student. A study showed that student students who worry about money can lead to ongoing stress, anxiety, and even depression. Another reason could be due to stress. Stress can have a significant factor when it comes to the performance of the student. It is possible that stress can affect the academic performance of the student and thus leading that student to academic failure and thus leading to drop outing. 

Another reason why students then to dropout is due to their decision when it comes to the path to take. Sometimes it’s hard to choose, especially when you have to choose regarding your future. Taking recommendations is some of the ways that students base their choices, though basing on recommendations from friends, family, and other people shouldn’t really be the reason why you should choose to take a path. In doing this, it is possible that the student who bases their decision on recommendations can possibly hate the course afterwards. The lack of academic preparation is another reason why students drop out from colleges. Those who don’t prepare for their future are always doomed to fail, though sometimes it's not the fault of the student. Low-income students are more likely to come from low performing schools which in turn can affect how they will be able to go to college. 

Not going to college doesn’t really mean you wouldn’t get a job. Technically, your skills and talents are the ones that get you hired. Though, when it comes to working to get the skills and talents, you will need to be self-disciplined, goal oriented, and determined. It is up to you to gain the education required to get the job.  The internet could be an alternative when it comes to getting your education. The internet has always been inherently an educational tool. The internet is not just a communication tool, rather it has the potential to offer individual learners increased freedom from physical limitations of the real world. Individuals will be able to access information without having the restraints of having to go somewhere to get that information. 

Dropouts have a lot of freedom regarding their time. Most dropouts wouldn't really need to go through having to wake up for classes in the morning or having to stay up late to finish their assignments, rather dropouts have the freedom to put their time on something that they want to do like focusing on their passion or hobbies. Dropouts can go through ventures which can help them become successful and such ventures would be being an entrepreneur. An example of an entrepreneur who dropped out of college would be Steve Job who is the founder of Apple. People who have the freedom to do what they want can focus all their time and energy on doing what they want. People who have freedom can chase their dreams as early as possible. 

Another venture can be an influence on social media. It is possible for a person to earn a lot of money just by influencing or posting on social media, especially nowadays with the advent of apps such as Tiktok, Instagram, and even YouTube. Instagram influencers who have less than 10,000 followers can earn around $88.00 per post and those who have 100,000 followers can have endorsements and can earn around $200.00 per post. It's not just Instagram but also youtubers can earn a living. Filipino vloggers can earn at least P250.000 every month and some can earn well around P1,000,000 per month. Ticktockers with large followings can make around $200 to $5,000 a month especially those who have over 1 million followers. Even streaming can allow a person to become successful, especially when it comes to e-sports. 

Getting a degree allows a student to have an opportunity for increased incomes. College grads are able to make much more money compared to those with only a high school diploma. College graduates have a 57 percent higher chance of having job opportunities compared to those without a college degree. The reason why people with a college degree have a higher chance of getting higher is because they have the proof to show their employers that they can actually do the Job. Sure it may seem that even though people without a college degree can be more skilled. Colleges do provide graduates with skills, it's not just the skills that you gain from college that matter but also the experience that college provides such as meeting new people.

A college degree will always grant you a better job. A better job will always grant you a better pay, though its not just pay that you will get from a better job, but also benefits such as health care, retirement investment, and travel perks. Benefits won’t only benefit you but also your family. 

A degree can get you a proper job. A proper job, meaning that you may have better job security than others. If you don’t have a degree, you are probably not getting a good job based on your credentials. Essentially, when it comes to people who only have a high school degree, it is easier to replace them due to them not having a degree. Employers value degrees and some would actually pay for an employee’s tuition. A degree allows sustainability which in turn can benefit the company regarding your performance to them. 

Steve Jobs was the founder of Apple which is a trillion dollar company right now. According to make it (2017), Steve Jobs dropped out of college at the age of 19 due to financial burdens by his family. Even though Steve Jobs dropped out of college, he was able to make up for it by focusing a lot on his passion. 

Mark Zuckerberg Dropped out of Harvard, and later founded Facebook and became the 5th wealthiest person alive. The reason why Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of his Ivy League school is due to his growing social media platform. Right now, Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune is at around 117 billion dollars.

Michael dell dropped out of the university of Texas at the age of 19, He would later become the founder of Dell technologies which is a 20.9 billion dollar company Which is a trillion dollar company as of now. 

Bill Gates attended Harvard University for two years. He later dropped out and became the CEO of Microsoft which is currently a trillion dollar company.

Personally I think that dropping out in itself isn’t really a good idea. College can provide a lot of opportunity towards students and not going to college is such a missed opportunity. Not a lot of people can pay for college, so if you are able to afford it shouldn’t you aim for it. Dropping out in itself can be beneficial to some people. As seen in the earlier paragraphs, dropping out can provide opportunities such as having the freedom to do whatever you want, putting your time into skills that matter to you, and actually trying to live your life the way you want to.  Dropping out can provide opportunities that college can not such as an early start, though there are a lot of things that college can provide that dropping out can’t. Again, like in the earlier paragraphs, College can also provide skills and more opportunities when it comes to getting a job. A job is essential and not getting a degree makes it harder for a person to get a job. Not only is it harder for a person without a degree to get a Job, but also since we live in the Philippines, the opportunities when it comes to getting a job are much more limited. When must take in the

You cannot expect that you would end like most successful dropouts. One reason why you shouldn’t expect it is because you live - in reality - in a third world country. Yes, you may be able to become an entrepreneur and become rich, though when it comes to learning the market and learning how to actually sell your product towards the people of the Philippines, you will have to study that frivolously. You can say that if you become determined enough you could actually attain your dreams, though just because you chase your dreams doesn’t mean you will actually catch it, especially when you don’t have the background to do it. Not only the background, but also a compromise when you fail to attain that dream. Going to college can allow you to have a compromise when you fail to attain your current dream. Poverty is a rampant problem in the Philippines, and those who actually can afford college and get a degree are actually blessed. The reason why people with degrees are blessed is because they actually have an education compared to those who can’t afford to go to college. Education is important when it comes to learning and getting a better future. 

It's true that there are dropouts that earn more than people who didn’t drop out from college, though if we examine more of the lives of these dropouts, I think we would have an answer. Dropouts such as Bill gates and Mark Zuckerberg were actually able to enter Ivy League Schools, which compared to the Philippines' top schools, is something that is way too high. Let's say that you actually got into an Ivy league college, such as Harvard, and decided to drop out. Are you smart enough to come up with ideas such as Facebook or even Microsoft so that you can become successful? Even if you could, do you actually have the resilience to fail a lot. When you do fail, will you be able to pick yourself up and move somewhere other than your passion. Steve Jobs was regarded as someone who had zero failures, though when he had to give up his position as CEO of Apple, he had to find a way to keep on moving forward. The way Steve Jobs moved forward was through Innovating and and finding opportunities for reinvention. Steve Jobs was able to 

Passion Over College: 

I think that dropping out is a good idea once you have finalized your love for a passion. When you put your years into something that actually matters to you, then there isn’t really anything wrong with dropping out. Though, if you can afford college, wouldn’t it be better to attend it instead of dropping out because if you do fail from dropping out, then wouldn’t it be good to have a kind of a back up plan. Wouldn’t be better to integrate what you learn in college into your dreams rather than rushing to attain your dreams early. 

Final thoughts:

When it comes to attaining your dreams and aspirations, it always boils down to your parents. Technically, it isn’t you who is paying to attain your dreams. your parents  are the ones who pay for you to attain your dreams. When I mean dreams I don’t just mean college, I also mean dropping out. It is expensive to pay for college and you may think that dropping out is cheap, but in the long run it isn’t. You will need the support of your parents to be able to back you up financially in attaining your dreams, and if you do fail to attain your dreams. It is the responsibility of your parents to help you live life after moving on from your dreams. 

If you truly believe in your talents to attain your dreams, then I won’t really stop you from trying to get them, though, you will need to become patient when trying to attain your dreams. You shouldn’t rush your passions the same way you shouldn’t rush your education. If you truly love a passion of yours, then you must have the patience to wait for the right time to actually try and attain them. If you think now is a good time to get them, then you must think it over until you can come up with a solution that benefits you in the long run. A passion is something that you love, and If you truly love it, then you should have the willingness to be patient and wait a little while before you can actually attain those dreams of yours. 

Noronha, P. (2021, May 11). Dropping Out Of Uni? Here Are The Pros And Cons Of It. UniAcco. https://uniacco.com/blog/dropping-out-of-uni-here-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-it

How much money Instagram influencers make. (2021, November 8). Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-instagram-influencers-earn-examples-2021-6?international=true&r=US&IR=T

Jamie. (2021, November 7). How Much Does A Vlogger Earn In The Philippines? Filipino Wealth. https://filipinowealth.com/how-much-does-a-vlogger-earn-in-the-philippines-2021-update/

GOBankingRates. (2021, November 13). How Much Do TikTokers Make? Here’s 7 of the Highest-Earning TikTokers. https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/entrepreneur/how-much-do-tiktokers-make/#:%7E:text=TikTokers%20with%20large%20followings%20can,million%20will%20make%20the%20most.

10 Benefits of Having a College Degree. (2021, April 16). Bachelor’s Degree Completion.https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/

Hess, A. J. (2017, May 10). 10 ultra-successful millionaire and billionaire college dropouts. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/10/10-ultra-successful-millionaire-and-billionaire-college-dropouts.html

Bishop, R. (2021, June 28). Why Do Students Drop Out of College? Signal Vine. https://www.signalvine.com/financial-aid/why-do-students-drop-out-of-college

Selwyn, N. (n.d.). The Internet and Education. OpenMind. https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-internet-and-education/

We were all taught in school and in our household that the next step after highschool is to find a good college to help us land our chosen job to have an easy life. College is like a gateway for us to be able to get a good job and to be able to find connections and build our own networks in life.

 

Body

Is it truly necessary for people to study in college and be successful in life? Being successful doesn't always mean being wealthy and rich, it can mean different things. We can be successful even if we don't get to earn a lot in life. We can still be successful if you like the things you do in life or find something that you like to pursue in life. There are examples out there of people who dropped out of school and still manage to be successful. Famous singer like Kanye West who made an album about him dropping out of college, and Famous college dropout Steve Jobs who then created Apple

 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, I believe that college is not a necessity for everyone since it's not really a requirement that every job requires to be a graduate. From what I have been told from different people The only reason family and school requires you to go to college is so that you can land a good job easily and that pays well. And other people say that experience can also help you land a good and paying job. All that matters is that you work hard on the path that you have chosen in your life.

College will help you learn different things and experiences because there are also people you can connect with. Students also gather for organizations where they can interact with and learn from each other. Gaining knowledge from others is something that you can cherish in establishing your career because you can consider their different opinions and perspectives of things. Also, having a college degree you will have a better chance in establishing your own career because this is where you will choose your course and study it for years in order to also master it.

It is important to actually know yourself because in the future you will need to find a job that will suit your interests and be satisfied with it. What if you were to dropout and not find a job because you are a dropout. Finding a job will not be easy since businesses find workers who are efficient and people who have college degree are considered to be efficient since they were able to finish their studies. 

In my opinion, if I were given the chance to choose whether to go to college or not, I would choose going to college since it is a better option. Going to college is a part of life where you can experience things you haven’t experience yet and be able to learn from it. It will always not be easy since life will give you unexpected situations that you can learn from and apply it the future.

Marquez