Op-ed: Burgers or bachelor's?

By Richard Robinson

Photo illustration by Richard Robinson

Doctors, lawyers, engineers and even journalists; these are professions that require college and some are the best jobs out there. However, many kids don’t realize the need for college. I think that some kids don’t see college as an option because they don’t think they can do it, that it isn’t cool or even because they don’t think they need to do it.

Some high school students aren't college bound because they think that it is too late. They didn't believe that the first quarter of high school counted and ended up with F’s on their report cards. Later, they became discouraged when they found out what they had done to their GPA's (grade point averages). Others are discouraged because they think that if they don't understand high school material, how can they be expected to understand college-level classes.

Getting bad grades and having difficulty understanding certain subjects can cause students to loose confidence and feel unworthy.

More puzzling are the students who wouldn’t bother with college because they don’t think that it’s cool. These students don’t want to waste their time doing something they don’t see as fun or interesting. They move on to doing things such as ditching class to hang with their friends or disrupting class to get attention and entertain themselves.

Although some students try very hard to make it to college, they may have difficult situations at home that impact their choices. Problems may result from a lack of money and conflict with parents. Community programs, high school counselors and community colleges are available to help motivate undecided students.

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president and a teacher for 28 years, believes community college is one of America's best-kept secrets. In an essay for Forbes magazine, she wrote that two-year colleges help students bridge the educational and economic gaps to four-year universities. President Obama is promoting the American Graduation Initiative with funding to ease the transition from high school to community colleges.

Other students may not be concerned about going to college because they probably feel they don’t have to worry about their futures. Yes, it sounds crazy, but some of the options they consider include living off their parents, joining the military or working in places like McDonald's and Walmart. These (often minimum wage jobs) are all ways to earn a living. The annual salary for a high school graduate is $37,303, with an estimated lifetime earnings potential of $1.2 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These numbers may sound good, but that same high school graduate could get a bachelor's degree propelling their earnings to $66,445 annually and $2.2 million over a lifetime.

If students could persevere through at least four more years of school, they could end up nearly doubling their earnings. The more ambitious students could choose to go even further -- getting advanced degrees for an even more comfortable and secure future.

A 2009 report from the Economic Research Institute has shown that by the year 2024 a fast-food cook will make $20,594 a year. During the same time, a pediatrician would have the potential to make $257,443, the report said. The salary gap can allow for major differences in the quality of a life that can be expected to last 70 or more years.

Yes, pediatricians make more money than fast-food cooks. Students should know that there are many roads to choose after high school and college is just about the only one that leads to success that will benefit you for the rest of your life.