The Key to Success

One out of the many difficult decisions young people have to go through in today’s society is choosing what to do after they graduate from high school. Many choose to further their education by attending college while others may choose to go directly into the workforce or military. Whatever it is that youth today choose to do with the rest of their lives, the decision is usually made with intentions to set themselves up to live long, happy, successful lives. However, many young people do not get to choose what to do after graduating from high school because they are forced by their parents to do what their parents want them to do or other unfortunate circumstances. But the underlying question is, are those who go to college setting themselves up to be more successful than those who immediately join the workforce or otherwise? Many people would agree that those who choose to attend college will turn out to be more successful in life.

Those who believe that going to college is the best route for success typically think this because college enables you to get better-paying jobs and it improves your quality of life. Out of these two things, most people would agree that a better income is the greatest factor that enables college graduates to be more successful. According to Postsecondary Education Opportunity Research Letter, “[t]he lifetime income of families headed by individuals with a bachelor’s degree will be about $1.6 million more than the incomes of families headed by those with a high-school diploma” (Hansen). This is a significant amount of money, especially when you take in to consideration all the needs of a family. It could enable a family to buy their children cars, pay off their mortgage, or help pay for anything else a family may need or want. In addition to an increased income, many people say that a college education improves people’s quality of life.

People most likely believe this because of the many benefits people usually attain from receiving a college education. Studies show that in comparison with high school graduates, those with college degrees have “greater economic stability and security, better access to health care, more book purchases, more self-confidence, and less criminal activity and incarceration” (Hansen). All of these things could improve a person’s quality of living by making their lives a little more convenient and possibly more enjoyable. However, attaining some of these things may vary depending on the person and not necessarily the education they have. Personally, I am currently a student a Virginia Tech and agree that a college education can be very beneficial to a person’s life.

However, lately I have been wondering what else I could have done after graduating from high school and if I would have been just as successful if I had chosen to do something else. But in order to figure this out I first had to decide what I think it means to be successful. I believe being successful in life should not be defined by how much money you make, but by how happy you have become with yourself and your accomplishments. By this I mean if you love what you are doing—even if it does not pay well—and you are happy with whom you have become and where you have ended up, then you are successful. Albert Schweitzer, a German-French philosopher, believes in a similar definition:

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to
success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
(Hubpages)

This means that even if you have accomplished everything that people typically describe as becoming successful (such as graduating from college and getting a well paying job), but you are not happy, then you are not truly successful (Hubpages). Unfortunately, youth today are made to believe the very opposite and that they need to be wealthy and “successful” in order to be happy.

Many teenagers who graduate from high school are pushed by their parents or other mentors to go to college and get a well-paying job. Although this may help youth to become financially stable, it may also be setting them up to do something that they do not want to do, resulting in an unhappy life. Some parents even force their children to pursue the same career path they did, even if it is against the child’s will. This is not the right thing to do because we should be allowing our youth to do whatever it is that will make them happy. We also should not be encouraging our young people to do something just because it is what the majority of people do in order to get paid better. There are several alternatives that our youth can choose to do to become successful instead of going to college.

As an alternative, youth today could chose to join the military, work a special trade, or simply choose to pursue their dreams as an artist or maybe a singer. There are many job opportunities like this that pay very well and do not require a college education. Ultimately, we need to encourage our youth to do whatever it is that will make them happy. However, going to college is something that some youth decide will make them happy and this should not be discouraged. But we should not lead our youth astray, making them believe that in order to be successful in life you need a high-paying job. So the answer to the question is no, those who go to college are not setting themselves up to be more successful than those who choose to do otherwise. They are both equally successful as long as they are doing the things they love; because success is not defined by how much money you make in your lifetime, but by how happy you are with what you have done and who you have become in your lifetime.