Should I Go to College?

Should I Go to College? A guest post from Rev. Bill Boekestein.

Young people need to acquire the requisite skills for meaningful employment. Cal Newport gets to the point: “If you want a great job, you need something of great value to offer in return.” But there is no single path for acquiring those skills. Some will gain experience by routine, on-the-job training. Others will acquire competency and certification through an apprenticeship program or a trade school. Still others will gain degrees from liberal arts colleges. How can you know what is right for you?

I can’t answer that question. But I can suggest several additional questions that might help clear up your uncertainty.

What Are Your Gifts?
In previous generations no one was under the illusion that college was for everyone. Throughout history most people understood that higher education was for scholars—for those whose intellectual abilities especially fit them for a life of study or a job requiring rigorous academic preparation. That might not be you. And that’s okay. You might possess the mind, body, skills, temperament, and connections perfectly suited for a rewarding trade; college might add little value to your qualifications for a great job. On the other hand, you might be optimally cut out for college. When encouraging one of my kids to go to college, I lightheartedly applied Luke 16:3, “I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.” Begging was out of the question. And digging and other forms of manual labor didn’t seem to be an ideal fit. Instead, his excellent high school grades and self-determination seemed to argue for a college education.

What Is Most Needed Now?
Giftedness is only one question you must ask when considering college. And though it is important, it can also be misleading. It is possible that what you are good at is, regrettably, not highly desirable in the current job market. You must consider that. If you do go to college, you should seek advice from a guidance counselor about the employment prospects for majors that interest you. Many college graduates settle for lower-paying jobs unrelated to their course of study when they can’t find work in their desired field. And yet a simple web search for “high demand jobs” in my state revealed that many sought-after workers do not need a four-year degree to secure meaningful employment. College is no guarantee of rewarding work. David Bahnsen points out that “nearly 40 percent of non-working, prime-age men [25–54]” in fact “have a college degree.” College doesn’t work for everyone, sometimes even those who finish their studies.

What Is My Motivation for College?
For many the answer is simple: a desire for a high-paying job. But clearly money must not be the only factor when considering vocational preparation (see Eccl. 5:10). And it may no longer be assumed that college graduates earn more money. More companies are recognizing that experience can be at least as valuable as a diploma.

Still, some noble and high-paying jobs require higher education. Those called to such a career are right to go to college. And sometimes college may be required even when enhanced income is not the goal. If you feel called to the ministry, or the field of education, you will need to complete several years of post–high school learning.

A university professor counseling a young man considering getting a post-graduate degree asked this question: “What is the problem to which your getting a doctorate is the solution?” That question should also be asked about an undergraduate or graduate degree.

How Do Cultural Assumptions Affect Career Considerations?
Most of us grow up with tacit or overt expectations regarding our future. That’s not bad. But it should be understood. Finishing formal education with a high school diploma was normal in the community in which I was raised. So I never considered college until a few years after high school graduation. My father was a carpenter. So was I. But in my early twenties I sensed a possible call to ministry. So, I went to college. Alternately, if you are from a family of professionals, your parents may want you to follow in their footsteps and may need to remember that, as a believing young adult, you are free to choose a worthy trade and forgo college entirely.

Be careful also to resist politicizing your decision about college. It simply isn’t so that college is for liberals and the trades are for conservatives, or that city people go to school while country people get to work. Do not allow stereotypes to determine your future.

Can I Afford College?
This is a complex but vital question. In a very technical sense, everyone can afford college, at least in the short term. Between scholarships and loans, actual out-of-pocket expenses are often negligible. But loans must be paid back. And while college graduates are repaying loans, those without a degree can be saving income for a house or taking advantage of the wonder of long-term, compounding interest in their savings and investment accounts. If you must secure a student loan, treat it like medicine with serious side effects; take as little as possible.

If you cannot afford college but feel you have good reasons to attend, you might consider letting the military pay for your education under the GI Bill. Unused portions of your benefits can even be transferred to eligible dependents.

Is the Time Right for Me to Go to College?
I spent two and a half years between high school and college. For me this was exactly what I needed. My complete lack of academic application in high school suggested that college was not right for me, at least not immediately. It is possible that you are not ready for college. From a spiritual perspective, moving away from structures of accountability (home, church, friends) without having formed deep habits of responsibility and morality can be dangerous. College might be exactly the wrong thing if your convictions are unformed or untested. For reasons including these, you might consider attending a local community college or four-year university (or a combination of the two) while living under your parents’ roof, attending the same church, and retaining good local friends.

If you go to college, you should consider attending a Christian college. Either way, John Piper offers five sound points of advice: go to war, love the word, invest in a church, find good friends, and ask God for help. College is a battleground of ideas. And in many institutions the rules of engagement are biased against believers. So, college students must feed themselves on the word, seek accountability and equipping in friends and fellow believers, and pray that God would give them grace in their time of need.

The question about college is important. But it isn’t all-important. It shouldn’t make you panic. Use providence as a guide—go to college if you can and if you think you should. Or avoid college if you can and if you think you should. Get good advice. And finally heed this sound counsel: “Make a decision. Don’t over-spiritualize. You can serve the Lord in a thousand different jobs…You can be just about anything you want as long as you aren’t lazy (Proverbs 6:6–11; 26:13–16).”

This article is adapted from William Boekestein’s Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling.