In life, one of the most important decisions you can make is whether you should or should not pursue higher education. However, it should not be compulsory for students to pursue it.

For most high school students, college is seen as something that is a necessary stepping stone in life. Oftentimes in school, students and teachers can be heard discussing resumes, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and GPAs. Many students spend lots of time and effort into succeeding at these things so that they have a shot to get into a desired college. And it is well-known information that because of those things, high schoolers have high-stress levels.

According to Understood.org, much of the stress in high schoolers comes from the pressure to succeed and concerns about college. Students’ parents may even push their children to an elite college because they think that it is necessary for success. These high expectations from parents may cause even more stress in the child. Stress in teens can cause depression, headaches, and forgetfulness, according to Mayo Clinic. This stress can be detrimental to the development of teens’ minds and bodies. 

While it is of no doubt that if you have a college degree, your working environment will be better, it often causes unnecessary stress and is not needed for trade jobs. Some people may argue that “inflicting” trade jobs upon people is cruel, but someone needs to do those jobs in order for society to run smoothly.

 And the fact of the matter is, people have different goals in life and need to be able to make their own choices. For example, If someone wants to be a stay-at-home parent, farmer, or entrepreneur, they should be free to do so without having to go to college. People should be able to make themselves happy instead of bending to do what society wants. 

When higher education is not compulsory, people are able to pursue what they love and find peace and success within their lives. Not only will they be free from unnecessary stress, but they will also have the freedom to do what they want.