Michael Kaczmarek

English 1106 Sec.09

Essay 4- Cause and Effect

Getting a College Education

            When I was in eleventh grade, everyone I knew would ask me what I was going to do after High School.  Teachers at school were on my case about post High School education and the nagging did not stop there.  Every evening after school, my parents would really hound me about making up my mind about what I wanted to do.  It used to really get on my nerves, but I eventually realized that my decision at that time would affect the rest of my life.  Getting a college education of any kind will make life much easier down the road.  When I made up my decision, I had three goals in mind.  I wanted to have a better job after college that I could enjoy, I wanted to make more money and I wanted a sense of personal satisfaction.  These are all examples of the effects of getting a college education. 

            My number one reason for getting a college education is so I can get a great job that I enjoy doing.  I also do not want to ever have to worry about job stability.  Getting a college education is a major factor in finding a stable job.  When looking at people in the business world, those who never graduated from high, nor pursued a college degree, seem to have the most trouble keeping a constant job.  Companies are more apt to hire someone and hang on to him or her, if they see that this potential employee has earned a college degree.   Education is very important.

            The second reason why getting a college education is important, is to get that bigger paycheck.  I know money is not everything, but if I want to have kids, money is nice to have so that I am able to do nice things for them and so they can do the things they want.  Money does affect families all over.  I am the proud uncle of a one-year-old niece, whose mother does not yet have a college education.  Money does affect their lives and if it wasn’t for my parents, I don’t know how my sister and her daughter would make it.  If you want money, the best way to get it, is to go to college and earn a degree that will make getting it much easier.  I know that some people don’t think they need to go to college to get money.  That is true, but the fact is people who go to college usually are better off in the future, financially, than those who work at Burger King full time.

            My final reason for getting a college education is to gain personal satisfaction.  Knowing that I have accomplished something and that I can provide for a future family and myself would be very rewarding.  College educations greatly affect whether or not someone will be satisfied with their life.  I just want to be able to know what that feels like.  Getting through school is going to allow that to happen.  I always hear people who never went to college say, “I wish I could go back and get a degree.”  I do not ever want to have that feeling.  There is something about accomplishing something hard that is so self-rewarding.  That is the feeling I want to have when I am all done.

            After reading this essay, you can now understand why getting a college education is so important.  It is obvious that earning a degree affects our own personal lives, but we need to be aware that it affects others as well.  If you want to start a family, what is going to make sure you have a job that allows you to make money to support them with?  The answer is, a college education.