When you graduate from high school, you give a huge sigh of relief because you are through with school. Getting a college education does not sound appealing because that means four more years of school.
That’s exactly how Steve felt when he graduated. He liked doing things with his hands rather than sitting behind a desk at school. So, Steve decided to find a job instead of furthering his education.
Because he didn’t have a college degree, he got jobs that only paid minimum wage. Then, he got hired to work for a construction job installing kitchen cabinets. The job paid more than minimum wage and would be good enough to support a family. Or so he thought.
He married and had two children. When his youngest son was two years old, he got leukemia. There were many trips to the doctors, long stays in the hospital, and round after round of chemotherapy. Bills mounted up. Despite good medical help, Steve’s son died. Steve didn’t have any life insurance on his son so funeral costs were added to the overwhelming medical bills.
And then Steve lost his job.
Throughout his whole life, Steve struggled financially. He never had enough money to make a down payment on a house. Because he didn’t have a college degree, Steve only worked at odd jobs here and there as a maintenance man or installing kitchen cabinets when the construction economy was good
Contrast Steve’s experience with Craig’s. After high school, Craig enrolled at the local university. He completed his education and became a radiology technician. He got a job at a small community hospital. It was a steady, reliable job that paid well. He continued to take training and became certified to take CAT scans and do magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He owns 2 acres and lives in a lovely home with his family.
Getting a college education is a wise investment. You gain marketable skills. You are qualified for higher paying jobs and you will have a higher standard of living because of your education.