The document discusses the benefits of pursuing higher education after high school. It notes that while 68% of US high school graduates enroll in college, many students do not continue their education for various reasons such as not feeling academically prepared, financial constraints, or believing experience is equally valuable. However, getting a college degree provides long term benefits like significantly higher lifetime earnings compared to only a high school diploma. Furthering one's education can lead to a more fulfilling life and improved quality of life.

2. Congratulations! You’re college students! I realize that doesn’t sound like a huge
feat, especially since most of students in this class have been enrolled in college
for well over a year. But attending a post-secondary school is no simple task. A lot
of people would be surprised at the number of high school students that, for a
number of reasons, will never seek anything further than their diploma or even a
GED.
Furthering your education is essential to living life to its fullest and it is
important to be aware of the fact that school after high school is always a better
choice than the alternative.

3. The National Center for Higher Education
•In 2011, 3.2 million people graduated high school in the US
• Roughly 68% of these graduates enrolled in college as freshmen.

4. Candace Walsh with MatadorLife
•thinking you can learn on your own through job and life experience
•not feeling you’re “book smart” enough to succeed in college
•not being financially prepared, wanting to travel before being tied down by
school
•thinking experience is just as valuable as a degree
•going to a vocational school

6. Meris Stansbury
•encouraging independence
•teaching ingenuity
•creating responsibility
•it opens students up to discovery
•
•it improves one’s quality of life.

7. College Board
•Someone with a bachelor’s degree can
expect to earn 73% more than a high school
graduate after 40 years of working
•They also concluded that both average
earnings and average tax payments are
higher for those with a college education
•Thistands true for all racial and ethnic
groups that attend college.

8. Education is not an option for everyone but it is very
important and can lead to a more fulfilling life. The
evidence that shows how the benefits of getting a higher
education outweigh the costs they may impose on an
individual. The difference between having a high school
diploma and having a college degree can be life
changing. Thus, we see the proof that no one should
ever stop learning.

10. Works Cited
“Fast Facts.” Back to School Statistics (2010): n.pag. National Center for Education Statistics.
Web. 24 June 2012. <nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
Stansbery, Meris. “Five Reasons to Go to College (Besides Career Advancement).”
eSchoolNews (29 September 2011). eSchoolNews. Web. 24 June 2012.
<http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/09/29/five-reasons-to-go-to-college-besides-care
er-advancement/>
“The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society.” College Board (2004).
Education Pays. Web. 24 June 2012.
<http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf
Walsh, Candace. “Nine Reasons Not to Go to College.” Matador Life (11 February 2012).
Matador Life. Web. 24 June 2012.
<http://matadornetwork.com/life/9-reasons-not-to-go-to-college/>