College Is A Scam
College is a scam. This little phrase has been used by many college students on Twitter, Facebook, and all social media alike. This short and sarcastic phrase coined by stressed out and tired students, actually holds some truth.
Students in colleges and universities in the United States of America work their tails off through high school just to get into these colleges and universities, and then spend the next 4+ years stressing out even more than before they attended the school of their “dreams.” Kids and parents throw thousands of dollars at these “prestigious” schools just for a piece of paper. Then, once those kids have received their personalized piece of paper and miraculously turn into adults, they are set out into the real world to find a job, solely to pay off all of the debt that has come to them for going to that college to get that piece of paper. A piece of paper. Thousands of dollars, years of a person’s life, an unforgiving amount of stress, tears, and work… all for a piece of paper. And then to follow comes years of hard work and sacrifice to clean up the financial mess that was made during your college years. This extremely common problem begs the question: Is college really worth it?
Jessica Zezza, age 32 and still paying off her debt, says it is — but it is a stretch. “I love my job and I love what I do, but it was a struggle to get here,” she says. Zezza is a Monmouth University Graduate who now teaches at New Egypt High School as an English teacher for juniors. She did not get here immediately, however. Her journey was filled with questions of regret, confusion, and constant steps backward, but finally she made it. Immediately out of college, she was already in over $35,000 in debt and unable to find work to pay off the debt, so she only had one choice: to go back to graduate school in order to be able to keep taking out loans and hold off on paying the old ones. Eventually, with her relentless effort and constant work, she landed herself a job that she loves, but because of the decision to go back to school, she still has $30,000 to pay off. “At one point I was regretting the choice I made of wanting to become a teacher, but I got through it and am still getting through it financially,” she said, “and anyone can… if you really love what you’re doing.”
So now, every kid entering this portion of their life really must contemplate to themselves whether what they love doing is going to pay off in the end. There are thousands of questions to consider: Will I always love what I do? Will I find work at all? Will my work help me pay off the debt I get myself into? Will I be struggling for the rest of my life? Am I okay with that? Is it worth it?
Is it worth it? Is it?
