Is An Ivy League Education Really Worth It? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Is An Ivy League Education Really Worth It?

38
Is An Ivy League Education Really Worth It?
www.educationnews.org

Before I went to a prestigious Ivy League university, I attended a public community college. A typical day would look like this: class, softball practice, dinner with my family, color guard practice, and then homework. Almost every night I was lucky enough to have plenty of leftover time to hang out with my friends, spend time with my family, or just kick back and watch my favorite television show. I thought, “Man, this is the good life.” But I was told it would never be enough.

As kids, we grow up with a fairytale view of Ivy League universities. We believe that only the best and brightest go there, and upon graduation they become the next President of the United States or CEO of some big-shot company.

At the same time, we’re told college is bound to be the best four years of our lives. It’s when you’ll bloom socially and intellectually. You’ll spend your days taking all the best classes on all your favorite subjects. You’ll spend your nights participating in the activities you’ve always wanted to try and with like-minded people who will always have your back. These people will be your best friends forever. You’ll spend four years doing this then receive a piece of paper that will magically grant you a ticket to a good life, especially if it has the name of one of those eight magical Ivy League universities on it.

This is the life I had at that small local community college. But because the degree wouldn’t have said “University of Pennsylvania” on it, I was told it would never be enough. So I moved 700 miles away to get the education that would be enough, the education that would grant me that ticket to a good life. But here’s the catch that no one told me: The good life will have to wait.

At an Ivy League university, the “good life” is a relative term. “Good” compared to what? I can tell you one thing – not good compared to the community college life. There is no softball, unless you want to wake up at five o’clock in the morning for practice. There is no dinner with your family – even if they did live nearby, where would you find the time? There is no color guard, because that would be a break with the “Ivy League tradition.” And one thing is definitely for sure: There is no leftover time. If you’re hanging out with friends, it’s either because you’re having a study group, are at one of those activities that will be a resume builder, or you’re just ignoring the load of work you should be attending to.

So this begs the question: Is an Ivy League school really worth it?

It takes a special kind of person to answer yes to that question. Saying yes means giving up the good life for a better probability that you’ll find that good life once you get the degree. It means your best friend will be the one fighting for the same job you want after college, because let’s face it, here you only hang out with two kinds of people: the ones you have class with and the ones who are in your activity groups. It means risking your health, both physically and mentally.

In short, life at any Ivy League university means giving up the freedom that your college years should give you. Yes, you’re free to make your own choices – you can choose to go to that party, you can choose to get wasted, you can choose your bedtime. But you’re still not free at all; you’re bound by the ropes that are your future. You take every chance you get to get ahead – a summer internship instead of time with your friends and family, a Spring Break Away instead of living it up with your friends, a research position instead of taking your time to study and focus on you. Every choice you make becomes bound to your future.

College shouldn’t be a time to worry about your future and what job you’ll get after graduation. It should be a time of expressing your opinions and having those opinions challenged. It should be a time of fun. It should be the time of your life.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

177828
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

4931
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

450995
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22492
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments