A Graduation Memoir

In the United States in 2022, you and about 3 million students are about to graduate from High School. From there, 33% of you will never again step foot in a classroom. 66% of you will go into some form of secondary education with about 47% of you attempting to achieve a Bachelor’s degree. Out of that 47%, the bottom 20% of earners will make less than $50,000 a year ten years after graduation which means that the top 20% of people not attempting a 4 year degree will earn more than double what you do. This isn’t to say that college isn’t worth it or that the goal in life is to make six figures, but it does show that college isn’t for everyone and it will leave some people in the dust. Since 1989, tuition for college has increased by 98% which has led to the average college graduate holding more than $35,000 in debt. In 2019, just 66 percent of college graduates were in jobs requiring a college degree and only 27 percent were in jobs related to their college major. 

What leads to a more fulfilled and happy life, pleasure and leisure or meaning and duty? What makes you feel better, giving someone $25 or buying yourself a new watch? A 2017 research study in the Atlantic showed that most people feel overall better after helping out someone else before helping out themselves. This is most prominent with parents who give up a majority of their salary and time to their children but never question if it’s worth it. 

In summary, don’t go to college just because it’s the way to go and make a fat salary on Wall Street. You’re in a unique position right now to do something meaningful with your career that will leave you fulfilled for a long time to come. Congratulations to the Waltham High School class of 2022. Thank you for your time.