College: A Gateway to Success in America

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America prides itself on having what no other country can offer, The American dream. The United States offers someone to have freedom to make a name for themselves and become an entrepreneur in any industry they want. Therefore, it is easy for immigrants to come from other countries and have a chance to succeed in life. Every American wishes to be the great corporate executive officer (CEO) of a thriving company to make millions of dollars; however, achieving this goal becomes extremely difficult when you find out the great challenges that every CEO has to overcome. Aside from trying to become a successful entrepreneur, The American dream also consists of gaining an education. Completing an education in the 21st century is having a bachelor’s degree in some kind of major. Beginning a college education as soon as one graduates high school is a great way to jump start your life and is a beginner’s step to becoming financially secure. High School is a great tool to help prepare someone for a higher education. As a former high school student, I now realize I was handed all the tools to succeed in college, but I could not leave the social aspect of school and focus on my studies. Many of Americas’ high school struggle to achieve their high school diploma and this one of the major problems of not being able to attain success. Most high school students do not realize what teachers are trying to do for them and simply ignore their teachings and advice. In California, 68.3% of high school students graduated in 2007 (“California Department of”). Obviously, the chance of success for these students that have not graduated is low. Because of this high dropout rate, it puts incredible stress on the remaining 31.7% of young adults who now do... ... middle of paper ... ...he bachelor’s degree made over twenty-five thousand more dollars than those with only a high school diploma. As the American dream continues to help drive so many Americans to pursue their goals, we must first take steps to achieve those goals with the help of a strong education. Four-year colleges prove to give a strong educational background to anyone who attends them, but the financial costs may stagger someone in their footsteps and believe it is impossible to achieve their goals. But the reward for making the investment into college repays a person later in life. I have learned so much by attending college and can honestly appreciate what I am paying for. I, like other college students, find college to be a gateway to success in America. I believe anyone has the opportunity to attend college and to receive a four-year degree and later live the American dream.

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