<p>If you are making $330,000/yr, do you need to go to college?? I guess you would go to college if you wanted to learn, party, etc but couldn’t you do that voluntarily?</p>
<p>You don’t “need” to do anything, do you? How are you making $330K as (I presume) a teenager?</p>
<p>I presume people nowadays go to college for a combination of the following reasons:</p>
<p>1) To pursue a particular career path or field (e.g. Doctor, Engineer etc)
2) To learn more about subjects that interest them
3) To increase their future earning potential
4) To increase the range of careers which will be available to them (although they may as yet be undecided as to which career in particular they may want)
5) To avoid menial careers (obviously it is possible to avoid menial labor without a college education, but for some people none of the careers which don’t require a degree are appealing)
6) Meet a broad range of people
7) Have fun/party/pursue hobbies/Avoid the drudgery of employment for a few years
8)It’s a reason to begin moving out of their parents home (albeit often only into a dorm with parents financial backing), a step towards independence.
9) Lack of initiative -it’s what’s expected</p>
<p>I would guess perhaps in recent years the reasons people choose have possibly shifted towards the latter five, at least in the case of rich children who can afford the privilege of a college education with full financial backing.</p>
<p>I did my undergrad in the UK and only paid £1k per year tuition so it’s not quite a fair comparison but 2,3,4,5 would each have been a strong enough reason alone to attend, and 6-8 were just advantages.</p>
<p>I went to college in 1977 for a love of learning. I graduated in 1981.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.</p>
<p>And I’m still learning.</p>
<p>@AlwaysInAwe</p>
<p>I also attended a UK University but before the first tuition hike. IMHO, that was by far the best University system that I have ever seen. Tuition was free for EU and UK students. The only thing that mattered were your academic qualifications (Sent via UCAS). That’s the way the educational system should be tbh.</p>
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<p>where are you getting this stuff from? Seriously, it’s just silly. Its hard to respond to such gross generalizations. Most kids I know are really into learning for its own sake and are choosing schools that provide that. None of the kids I know are going to college for a corporate job. Sure some do- I’m a business school professor so that is probably true of most of my students- but not true for the vast majority of students I know outside of my classes. And professors are no less interested in teaching than they were ever. I’m in a heavy duty research environment but I and most of my colleagues actually care a lot about doing well in the classroom and we do.</p>
<p>Many of us went to college because it was the next step after HS & we wanted jobs that would not be available to us if we didn’t at least have a BA/BS. Some of us went on as well to get a graduate degree, also so we could get jobs we thought we’d enjoy & be paid a decent wage.</p>
<p>Many of us enjoyed our time in college, but of course experiences varied widely. My kids went to college for similar reasons.</p>
<p>I suspect many people went to college reasons similar to mine if they care to admit it.</p>
<p>The last night with my son, after moving him into the dorm his freshman yr, I was rambling on and made the mistake of including the word “career” in a sentence. He went of like a rocket - and informed me he-was-not-going-to-have-a-career! I quickly retracted the horrid word, and replaced it with “however you plan on supporting yourself, that is what I meant” He is never going to live those words down- no way. 
I wonder what he went to college for?</p>
<p>An actual social life away from mom and dad? :)</p>
<p>I want to go to college to learn. I have a loose plan for a job but considering that it is subject to change and I intend to take a variety of courses outside of that area, I’m not really going for specific career-training. Career-training can be a by-product of education.</p>
<p>I do want to be “successful” in the career I choose, but I define success as happiness, not by material wealth or power.</p>
<p>Ironically, I do somewhat agree with OP in the respect that partying is a little too prevalent at some schools, but I don’t think that “top schools” are the area for concern. Are all students at top schools ideally motivated and interested in learning? Definitely not, but at least they aren’t looking for a 4-year vacation. Someone I know who went to a state public non-flagship said to me, “It’s easier than high school. I don’t really do anything other than party.”</p>
<p>I haven’t really gotten a valid, objective answer from anyone. And it’s funny, because when I ask this question in real life, they get really defensive and it’s like they are scrambling for an answer.</p>
<p>“To expand your horizons”
“Follow your dreams”
“A college degree is required in today’s competitive market”
“A college degree is one of the best investments you can make”</p>
<p>It’s absolutely sick. I want to discuss it rationally, I am not asking for a car commercial.</p>
<p>Well, I’ll tell you why I went to college.</p>
<p>I did because it was expected of me. You start hearing about college when you’re like in grade 6. After that, I wanted to go because it would mean that I would be on my own, away from my parents. (Not that I disliked my parents or anything it’s just that its very liberating setting your own rules at 18). I would put wanting to learn after those two reasons.</p>
<p>If you’re convinced that it’s pointless to go to college, then don’t. No one (most likely) is forcing you. If your life turns out good anyway, that’s great for you; you would have saved some money and time.</p>
<p>There are colleges that do not fit your complaints in the OP, so maybe you just need to investigate a bit before positing rhetorical questions and claiming that no one has a sufficient answer.</p>