Imagine every year the thousands of applicants each college gets from prospective students. They get flooded with letter after letter and have teams of employees working on the paperwork to respond to each and every student. The twist is that every student cannot send out thousands of letters. There are approximately 4,168 two and four year colleges in America, obviously every student would find a home if they were able to apply to each and every college, but it’s economically and logically impossible. The cost to simply apply to a college is constricting many students from reaching a higher level of education; however there are ways to waive the application fee, but even then there is the issue of the actual school’s tuition. There’s a major flaw still in the system.

The average student applies to six to eight colleges in hopes of gaining admission, but then the waiting game begins. Days, weeks, months pass by, checking through the mail in hopes of a large package with the list of items to bring to college as a welcoming way of saying “Here’s What You Need to Survive” list. Tension builds as the mailbox appears empty, the question is, what is the student’s motive for this stress? Why put them through this much torture? Is college truly worth living the last semester of high school with the thought of having dreams shattered?

Take into consideration the current economy and that many college graduates simply do not get a job in their field of study within the first three years of graduation, but then also add in the so-called “experts” suggesting that each student should choose a career pathway that leads them to success in the long run. When added together, there is a promise stating “You won’t have a job for a while, but hang in there, you’ll get one.” So in this instance, why would anyone pay thousands of dollars to go to a college that will take years to pay off?

The answer is simpler than the question seems to ask. College is a start of every person’s life. Staying up late to study for an exam is almost equivalent to staying up late at work to finish a project: high school is the snack, college is the appetizer, and work is the entrée. Additionally, the field of work is an extreme confidence boost, especially when the student receives their first job in that field. After practicing a topic and working theoretically, the student finally gets to appropriate the information they had learned throughout college. With every lesson, a college teaches its students a valuable life skill and prepares them more and more for the step ahead of them.

College isn’t all about money, it isn’t about waiting for the acceptance, but rather what you use the momentum from your learning experience and how you become better from it. No other institution can truly guarantee you a successful lifestyle in the way a college can grant access to. College is worth every agonizing moment of waiting for that freshman year checklist. College is worth every waking minute spent up at night to cram for an exam. College is worth every single bit of energy available only because it is the true start to the life you live that is worth everything and a bit more.