Write a persuasive essay to a high school class whose members don

The end of high school is an exciting time in one 's life . For most , it is a time when one is officially recognized as an adult . It is a point when adult life becomes more real rather than something that happened to one 's parents or other people . Each one in this class will be taking different paths : some would work , some would bum around , some would pursue higher studies , and some would marry . Each one of us look forward to a comfortable life ahead , and one of the things that could

facilitate that is getting a college education

While there are no single tried and tested formula for a happy , gainful and successful life , going college have been proven to facilitate a gainful and prosperous life . The New York Times reported that those with a college degree earn almost 50 percent more than those who only finished high school (Uchitelle , 2005 , para . 2 . Additionally , the news is worse for those who do not have a high school degree : wages for jobs available to them have decreased by 19 percent over the past 30 years while college degree holders ' wages have increased by 16 percent (Wisconsin Council on Children and Families , 2007 ,

. 3

More than the higher pay , a college degree also opens more doors for an individual , which means that more and more jobs are accessible to the baccalaureate holder that are not open to those who only have high school diplomas . A college degree also communicates to a prospective employer that one is committed to the job , having spent time , money and effort learning about it and acquiring the necessary skills

There are those who say that college is not for everyone , and that there is probably no difference in both job and advancement opportunities between those who have a college degree and those who just finished high school . There are those who argue that a high school diploma is proof enough that one has the skills needed to be successful in the corporate world , and everything that one needs could be learned on the job

This is simply not true . According to a 2007 study made by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families , more than two-thirds of new jobs that would be available in the ten years to 2010 will require postsecondary education (2007 ,

. 3 . The reality is that the United States has become increasingly dependent on an economy that relies on knowledge , and is no longer a manufacturing economy (McGuire , undated para . 3 . As such , the more dynamic and sought-after jobs often require a college degree . While it is true that most high school graduates have the skills to earn a living , chances are five or ten years down the line , these jobs will not pay enough to raise a family , or survive in these ever-changing times . A single mother of three kids will not be able to feed her family working for McDonalds

Also , since the economy has moved away from...