As the school year comes to an end, every graduating high school student is faced with the question, “Should I go to college?”

Parents encourage their children to go, teachers push their students to go, and society pressures kids to believe that if they don’t get at least a four-year degree, they will never snag a good job.

It’s true that graduating from a four-year institution opens up a lot of doors when it comes to starting a career, but no one should ever feel required to attend college if they don’t think it’s the right choice for them.

, “A bachelor’s degree is not a piece of paper that says ‘You’re a success!’ just as the lack of one doesn’t say ‘You’re a failure,’” said Jillian Gordon, a student teacher at Ridgemont Public Schools in Ohio, in her article on PBS.org titled “Why I’m telling some of my students not to go to college.”

Many people, younger and older, have no idea what they want to do for their career. TheCheatSheet.com lists this as a major reason why some people should seriously consider putting off a college education. Other reasons cited were debt from student loans, the choice to work straight out of college, whether or not a degree is required for the job you want, and if the person feels academically worthy of college.

Although I understand that debt can be a problem, it’s something that can be handled after college once you start making more money and should not deter a person’s future based on this alone.

The real questions students must ask themselves is if they know what they want to do for their career, if that career requires a college education, and if they’re ready for the amount of time and effort school demands.

But for those of us who think we have what it takes and know what we want to do for a career, college is the best course of action.

Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more per hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree, according to The New York Times.

So if you feel like you can handle four more years of schooling, college is not a waste of time or money. But no one should feel pressured to seek more schooling that they don’t want. Don’t go to college to please your family or your peers, only go if it’s required for the career you desire.

Christina Theel is a senior communication major from Puyallup. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.