Benefits of Waiting to Go to College after High School - Research Paper Example

?Running head: College vs. High school Benefits of Waiting to Go To College after High School Insert Insert Insert October 4, 2011 OUTLINE Introduction -Thesis Benefits of waiting to join college after High School Challenges of waiting to join college after high school Conclusion Annotated bibliography Benefits of Waiting to Go to College after High School Introduction Education plays an important role in shaping the lives of individuals. This explains why nearly every government across the globe currently considers basic education a right of every citizen. A good basic education enables individuals to have better understanding of life, adopt healthy lifestyles, and participate in various development activities in the society (UNICEF, para.2). Individuals with quality basic education are capable of managing themselves and their families. Basic education can be regarded as education up to the completion of high school level. After completing high school education, one has two options from which to make a decision. The individual can opt to take on employment opportunities for the high school graduates. Similarly, the individual can opt to proceed to college to pursue a four-year degree course. The college education adds value to the skills and expertise of the individual and it is apparent that after college, the individual is likely to earn far much more than high school graduates do. College education gives a student competitive advantage over the high school graduates (University of North Texas, para.2). However, this is only to the extent that the student has adequate financial and psychological preparation for the college study. Having chosen to proceed to college, an individual is again faced with two options. The student can proceed to the college immediately after high school. Traditionally, it is expected that students should proceed with their college education immediately after high school. On the other hand, the student may have to wait for some time after high school before proceeding with the college education. This may be necessitated by the financial constraints that affect the students owing to the level of economy that is witnessed in different parts of the world. In fact, it may not be the student’s decision to join college immediately or after some period after high school. Rather, the student is, in several occasions, compelled to take a break before joining college in order to make some financial preparation. The two options of joining college immediately after high school or waiting for some time before joining college each has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of one translate into the disadvantages of the other option. However, it will be apparent that given the sound grounds upon which a students waits for some time before joining college, this can be a good option. This paper holds that in as much as it has been traditionally adopted that students should proceed to college immediately after high school, it may not be appropriate to do this on weak financial grounds. Taking on employment first would be better. Thesis Although tradition expects students to go to college directly after high school, it does not make financial sense given today’s economic climate. Benefits of waiting to join college after High School It has been observed that after completing high school education, a student may wait for some time before joining college for undergraduate studies. This waiting has a number of advantages to the student and the responsible members of the family (parents, guardians, or sponsors). Firstly, college education is increasingly becoming expensive. The tuition fee and other expenses in these institutions are far much higher than the expenses in high school education. After struggling to finance the child’s education right from Kindergarten all the way to the high school, and given the harsh financial climate that currently rocks the globe, it may be cumbersome to have the child proceed to college education. If the student proceeds to college with the financial difficulties, then he or she will not receive the quality of education that is desirable. In such difficult situations, it may be asserted that one does not need to attain a college education to become mature or get a good job (Hansen, para.2). The financial constraints will translate into psychological problems to the student who will not be able to concentrate on the studies. The student may not access some learning materials that are useful for the studies but are purchased on individual basis. Taking some time before joining college then provides an individual with a humble time to have financial preparation for the college expenses. Organs like the US military service provide the high school graduate a good opportunity to work as they pursue college education (Kibiko, para.1). In fact, the military gives equal options for the college and high school graduates. The American military like the Navy gives individuals opportunities to serve and study at the same time (Joining the Navy, para.6). Secondly, basic education entails cumulative studies as from the age of two or three when a child attends pre-school up to the mid to late teens when one completes high school education. Rigorous and continued studies over this long period would necessitate a period of vacation that is longer than the usual one-month holidays between school days. Taking some period before joining college provides a good opportunity to relax and refresh an individual’s mind before proceeding with a tougher assignment ahead. The student can take on other jobs and is free to proceed with studies of his interest in the later periods in his life (Hansen, para.3). Similarly, the curriculum developers have struggled to develop some continuity between different levels of studies to ensure that students do not meet serious challenges. There have been efforts to link the curriculum in one level to the curriculum in the next level so that the students can have a familiar environment when they proceed to the next level. However, these efforts still meet certain challenges. There is still a big deviation between the curriculum in high school and that in college. College education is quite diverse with the student having the opportunity to choose the right career of interest (University of North Texas, para.1). Besides, high school certification is currently issued on different modes of learning, as is the case in the United States (Cameron and Heckman, 4). By taking some time before joining college, and perhaps engaging in a relevant employment, a student can have preparatory studies to enable him or her identify the area of study that is most appropriate for him/her. This will enable the students to overcome the challenges of indecisiveness when selecting the course of study. The student shall have developed a good knowledge of a particular course of study before selecting it. Lastly, the lifestyle adopted by a student and his fellows also has significant impact on the learning process. There is a significant difference between the lifestyle in colleges and that observed in high school. College education is characterized by a lot of freedom on the student’s side as compared to high school life. The student manages his learning hours independently without the intervention of the tutors (Rockler-Gladen, para.5; EducationBug.org, para.4). A student who had not been exposed to such a lifestyle may misuse the freedom to his or her disadvantage. To avoid this, it is necessary that the student should familiarize himself or her self with the college life before joining. This can be made possible through making frequent visits to friends or relatives in the college before commencing studies. There are other similar benefits for waiting to join college after high school. However, it should be noted that the benefits would only be valid to the extent that the student does not take a very long time before joining. In the event that long period is taken, then waiting before joining college would translate into problems some of which are examined below. Further, in the event that there are no financial constraints barring the students from joining college, preparing for college within a shorter period would be just appropriate. Challenges of waiting to join college after high school Proceeding to college immediately after high school has certain advantages over waiting for some time before joining college. Firstly, college graduates generally earn more than high school graduates do (Kathleen, para.3). Immediately after completion of high school, the student still has the habit of studying and continuing with the student life. This ensures that the student maintains the course of studies. It is likely that if a student takes long time before joining college, his mind may be swayed away from the relevant coursework. During this period, the student may be associated with other individuals who had abandoned studies, and would not wish to proceed with their studies. These individuals may influence the student into irresponsible social behaviors like alcoholism and drug abuse. Such behaviors and practices are not only harmful to the health of the student but also affect their attitudes towards education. Excessive drinking contributes significantly to death and school drop out among college students (Reifman & Watson, 73). It would be quite difficult to have the student back to the state that is fit for learning. The ideas and knowledge that had been gained may fade away with time giving the student hard time to catch up with the college education. Again, here, the required quality education may not be achieved. Considering the rising costs of education, it has been observed that the expected returns on quality education are proportional to the costs (Kathleen, para.5). Secondly, an individual can pursue his college education well if he is still young and energetic. By joining college immediately after high school, a student will pursue college education at the right age. The student will be exposed to the relevant employment opportunities at the right time. The student will develop the expected student-tutor relationship as opposed to the adult students that consider the tutors as their colleagues. The good student tutor relationship improves on the quality of teaching and learning. Besides, it is desirable that one accomplishes his or her graduate studies when they are still young and potential. As such, the graduates will have a good time to serve their respective nations and provide well for their families. Similarly, it is desirable to accomplish the graduate studies before other compulsory expenses come into being. For example, an individual may opt to go for employment to raise funds for college education. If such an individual takes long before joining college, there may be increased burden to the extent that the college education becomes impossible. The individual may wish to proceed to college after establishing a family. This will be the burden. It is then evident that these challenges caused by waiting before joining college will be grave in the event that the student takes a relatively long period before joining. Conclusion It is evident that a college graduate has better potential to seek and get better employment than their high school counterparts. Waiting for some time before joining college enables the individuals responsible for the education of a child to make the necessary preparations before the student can resume his or her studies. It is evident that given the financial difficulties, it is not advisable to have a student proceed to college without enough preparations. The resources spent in such a situation will be wasted since the student will not get quality education. Such graduates may find it difficult to relate the class work to the industry due to poor exposure to the real life applications of the theoretical principles (the practicals and field works often come at additional expenses). However, it is also evident that a very long break will have negative effects on the learning of the student and his general development into a respectable and responsible individual in the society. It is therefore sufficient to assert that even though it is a traditional perception that a student should proceed to college directly after college, it will only be desirable practice to the extent permitted by the prevailing financial constraints. The statement becomes null when the financial constraints do not allow for it owing the harsh economic climate that prevails currently. The student may be required to take some time before joining college while preparing financially. The preparations may involve seeking for some employment during this period. Annotated Bibliography Cameron, Stephen and Heckman, James. Nonequivalence of high school equivalents. Journal of Labor Economics, 1993, 11(1); 1-47. 04 October 2011. http://web.missouri.edu/~podgurskym/Econ_4345/syl_articles/heckman_cameron_nonequiv_of_hs.pdf The article focuses on the alternative ways of obtaining high school certification other than the traditional method of attending class and sitting final exams after grade 12. This reflects on the curriculum continuity from high school to college education, and eventually affects the ability of the student to adapt to the new learning environment. EducationBug.org. College vs High school. 2011. 04 October 2011. http://www.educationbug.org/a/college-vs-high-school.html The article provides an illustration of the differences between high school college life and education. It points out the arrangements that should be observed by a student when transitioning between the two stages of learning. Hansen, Randall. Next Step after High School? Some Alternatives to College. 2011. 04 October 2011. http://www.quintcareers.com/college_alternatives.html. The author explains that college is education is good only to the extent that the student is able to make meaning out of it. He asserts that education is more important than college, and that not every one has to attain college education. When faced with financial and other difficulties, an individual should opt for employment and resume college studies later on. Joining the Navy. Education Opportunities. 2011. 04 October 2011. http://www.navy.com/joining/education-opportunities.html The article also emphasizes on the educational services offered by the military services especially the US navy. It asserts that some basic education is essential to be absorbed into the forces. Kathleen, Porter. The value of College degree. ERIC digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education Washington DC. 2010. 04 October 2011. http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-3/value.htm The author emphasizes the benefits of college education. He asserts that even though the costs of education are increasingly considerable, the expected returns from investment in education are worth the costs. The author supports proceeding to college after high school. Kibiko, John. What are the Benefits of Joining the Army After High School Vs. After College? 2011. 04 October 2011. http://www.ehow.com/info_7948240_benefits-school-vs-after-college.html The author asserts that joining the military after college is not significantly different from joining the military immediately after high school. He asserts that the benefits are barely the same and that the military has education programs for its employees. An individual is able to proceed with the college education while serving in the military. Reifman, Alan and Watson, Wendy. Binge drinking during the first semester of college: Continuation and desistance from High School Patterns. A Journal of American College Health, 2003, 52(2). 04 October 2011. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=107&sid=219568e9-926a-4337-a8f3-c30401f79c11%40sessionmgr111 The article provides a study on the behaviors that are carried forward by students from high school to college life. One such behavior is drinking. The study showed that women are more likely to start drinking while in college, whereas a larger proportion of male drinkers started the habit in high school. Rockler-Gladen, Naomi. High School versus College Life A Freshman Year Guide to Different Student Academic Expectations. 2007. 04 October 2011. http://naomi-rockler-gladen.suite101.com/high-school-versus-college-a19518 The author illustrates the differences in the college life style and the high school life style. She focuses on the necessary changes that a student should expect when moving to college after high school as well as how to manage the changes. UNICEF. Basic education and gender equality. N.d. 04 October 2011. http://www.unicef.org/education/ The site emphasizes on the benefits of education. The right of children to basic education is highlighted with a lot of focus on the quality of this basic education. University of North Texas. Why go to college? N.d. 04 October 2011. http://www.unt.edu/pais/howtochoose/why.htm The website provides a detailed guide on how to choose a college that is appropriate for an individual. It provides an emphasis on the importance of college education after high school. Read More