What is the purpose of going to college? Is college useful or not?

Parents Forum
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<p>I’m a high school senior. Going to school is more fun than working full-time, so I would go to college even if it wouldn’t improve my job prospects. (If I’m going to have a bad job all my life, I may as well spend a few years going to classes and learning interesting things before I start it.) Of course, I wouldn’t be willing to spend very much of my parents’ money on college if I knew I were going to have a bad job, so I found a college that wouldn’t cost a lot. </p>

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<p>“Usefulness” is not necessarily the best standard for judging an activity.
Do we get married because it is useful? Do we have children because children are useful? Is delicious food more useful than bland food? Is music useful? </p>

<p>The craving for knowledge (curiosity) is just as natural as other cravings. Like other cravings it is cultivated in some people and stunted in others. Higher education brings curious people together to discover and share knowledge. This enriches people’s lives. </p>

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Useful for what? These things are useful for making people happy, and ultimately that’s what college is supposed to be useful for too. But college isn’t immediately fun for everyone. </p>

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<p>I dont agree with having children is because children are useful. I totally dont get what do u mean by children are useful.</p>

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<p>My sister and her friend (both are hairdressers), asked me this question about 20 years ago. They honestly wanted to know. They were making tons of money. My answer to them is that college teaches us to research…to not be afraid to go and and find answers. To this day (I’m 54), if I don’t know the answer to anything…I’m not afraid to pick up the phone and put together the puzzle. Not that you have to have a college for that of course, but it makes it much less daunting and intimidating. There are specialized degrees in college that you have to have a college degree…think engineering, medical, etc. However, there are many degrees that don’t necessarily prepare you for a trade…but that doesn’t mean you didn’t gain something from the classroom experience.</p>