Most high school graduates have typically been bombarded with the age-old question, “So, what college are you going to?” The answer was almost always followed by the names of prominent universities. However, with the increasing movement towards online degrees and the outrageous rising tuition costs, the answer is no longer so clear cut. As our economy and world changes, young adults everywhere are having to rethink the question, “Is college the right choice for me?”

Those who decide to go to public college are faced with many challenges. Typically, they are overwhelmed with high costs that they find themselves paying off for many years later in life. Also, many students find that the job they get after school has nothing to do with the degree they pursued, therefore those years of handwork and financial investment were for nothing. So, if you know for certain what you want to pursue in life absolutely requires a college degree, then public college is the right choice for you.

With these increasing tuition fees, some people even question whether going to college is worth it at all. This varies person to person and depends on each circumstance, but this option should not be shunned. Many students after high school graduation get their foot in the door of a company and go straight to work. In the work field, having a college degree typically helps when applying and certainly looks good to an employer, but is not always a requirement and does not determine one’s capabilities and success in certain fields. Therefore, if you are willing to give up the opportunity to have the public setting college experience, and you want to get straight to work in an area that does not require a specific degree, then I say you should go for it.

Another option for incoming college students is online studies. This is the avenue I personally chose and I will say it has its pros and cons. Online schooling is perfect for those who need or want to study in the convenience of their own home. No, with online classes you don’t get a typical classroom setting, but you are still held to the same standard of your average student. You must be disciplined in a schedule that works for you in order to properly study, meet assignment deadlines, and keep up good grades. Online college still offers a variety of degrees and is a good way to study, at the least, your basics. You can receive the same material and ultimately the same opportunity as any public school with courses online. If you know that the career you want doesn’t truly require a college degree, then maybe an online program is the right choice for you.

With the recent events of this pandemic, students across the globe have gotten a taste of online studies and it has brought up the question whether or not virtual learning is the way of the future for schooling at all grade levels. I asked my mother who is a public school teacher her thoughts and she stated, “When I first became a teacher 23 years ago, people would joke that robots would replace teachers in the future. The internet has now stepped in allowing a new platform for teaching that was unfathomable when I began my teaching journey. I am old school and I do prefer face to face instruction. Yet I must appreciate the convenience of online learning and embrace it as the way of the future. We all have to adapt or be left behind.”

So, is traditional college the right choice for the new generation? Is virtual learning the way of the future? We’ll just have to wait and see.