Is college really worth it ? Or are there other jobs out there that pay more like construction, etc.?

There seems to be a lot of confusion anymore about college that generates this type of question. I don’t blame you for asking it, because no matter who you ask, the answer will usually be based on their own anecdotal experience. So I’ll try to be as non-biased and straight forward in my answer as possible.

There are some careers that absolutely, positively require college. These are what most refer to as “the professions”. These include but are not limited to: medicine, law, engineering, education, architecture, certified public accountant, etc. You get the idea. Imagine going to a self-taught doctor to cure what ails you. Would you really want to risk your health with someone that hasn’t been properly educated in their field? So certainly in these scenarios college is worth it.

Next comes other disciplines that may or may not require a college degree but really are at the whim of human resources and management. If a company wants to require a degree into an entry level position all they have to do is place that in their job posting requirement. This is where a lot of people, when looking at job requirements, determine that a college degree is now required for all entry level jobs and that a bachelors degree is the new high school diploma (meaning that you must have a bachelors now compared to back in the day when a high school diploma would suffice). This is where you’ll also see overeducated persons working jobs that clearly don’t require a college degree to perform them. Not trying to disrespect anyone here but no one should assume that a coffee barista needs a degree to make a decent cup of coffee.

And then there are those that go to college simply to satisfy their well meaning parents. I recently read about one mother, with a PhD nonetheless, that wanted her son to become more educated than she was. Certainly this is an extreme case but it’s not too far from pushing someone in a direction that they clearly have no intent in going. Especially if you take someone that has no desire, no aptitude, and little academic ability in the course that they take. Then you’re just trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

So this brings us to your question regarding construction. There really are many different types of construction that require varying degrees of education. When roads and highways are constructed you need multiple types of engineers, department of transportation specialists, concrete technicians, and so on. Building a house? Start with an architect all the way to the construction worker doing the basic framing. Again these all require various degrees of education. If you want to get into construction as a carpenter you should be able to learn on the job. However, if you want to become a contractor with your own crew, consider going to a trade school or if you want to become degreed in the field, there are degrees offered in construction management. See U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This site will also show you what you can expect to earn. Most times, the more educated you are in your field, the better your earnings. But just like anything else in life there are exceptions to every rule. It really depends on what you want to do, how motivated you are to do it, and other factors beyond your control.

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