The best thing that I’ve done for myself is go to college. College has broadened my horizons, opened doors, and given me a perspective on life that I could never have achieved otherwise. I came from a very poor family. I grew up in a trailer park and neither of my parents possessed an education beyond high school. I knew from a very young age that the choice to go to college was not optional for me. My parents never told me that I had to go to college after high school and they would’ve respected my decision not to. I always felt that if I wanted to create a more prosperous future for myself then I needed to learn a skill and learn it very well. What that skill was I didn’t quite know at the time.

When I graduated from high school I started attending classes at the local community college. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. I took classes in anthropology, astronomy, history, philosophy, mathematics and just about anything else that sparked my interest. I found that I loved learning. I’m not talking about the type of learning that you get from reading a library book. I’m talking about the type of learning where you get to discuss topics with your fellow students and instructors. The type of learning that allows you to really get your feet wet in a subject and really learn it well. As I started taking more and more classes I would talk to my instructors about careers in the fields they were teaching. Most of them were eager to discuss this subject with me as it meant that I might possibly take more classes in their department. I started realizing that by taking all these classes I was figuring out what I really wanted to do with my life.

Then I took my first computer science course and all of the sudden my dilemma about which field I wanted to go into was gone! I knew that I wanted to work with technology and more specifically I wanted to be a software developer. So I transferred from my community college to the University of New Mexico as a computer science major. I knew that computer science was not going to be an easy path and as I started to take more classes I started to get frustrated and discouraged because the subject matter was extremely difficult (see advanced data structures and algorithms). Many times I wanted to quit, but failure was not an option. I would think about all the mind numbing jobs I worked and I would remember having nothing growing up. This was my motivation to succeed. With each class I would pass I gained a sense of accomplishment and my confidence level grew at an exponential rate. Then finally the day came when I turned in the last final exam of my final class for my degree and I had done it! I had earned my degree in computer science!

What I had taken away from my college experience was priceless. I figured out what sort of work I wanted to do. I made a carreer for myself that is in high demand and pays very well. I had a huge amount of confidence that I didn’t have going into it. I gained knowledge in a vast array of topics that I never would’ve learned about otherwise. I saw my world in a different light than I had before. But more than anything else I learned about myself. I learned who I am and I formalized my opinions about the world in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to without an education. Will I work in software development for the rest of my life? Probably not, but I have a pretty good idea about all the other realms that I want to explore. College opened doors for me.

There are many people out there that will try and tell you that college is a rip off and that its a waste of your time, money and effort. They will try to make the argument that you won’t be able to find work in your chosen field after college. You will find that the vast majority of these people didn’t have the ability and drive to make it through college. These people are idiots, don’t listen to them. While you may not find work in your chosen field, you will undoubtedly be able to find work in a field that you like. A field that probably wouldn’t have occurred to you had you not gone to college. The fact of the matter is that you will make more money, have a higher chance of finding work, and live a more enriched life if you have an education.

I have many friends that I went to high school with that decided college wasn’t for them and every single one of them regrets their decision. They are all working remedial jobs that they hate for very little pay. Sure there are the extreme exceptions that have succeeded without college, but they are few and far between. Most of us need college to make those connections and get exposure to all the options that are out there. The only way to find out your calling is by exploring a vast array of areas and that is where college provides the most benefit. If you desire to improve yourself, accomplish something, broaden your horizons and create a financially prosperous future in the process then do yourself a favor and go to college.