4 Thursday, May 13, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com OPINION A s a child, I assumed I would be a much more interesting college student than I really am. I thought life would be full of swashbuckling adventures and huge declarations of love — with a few musical numbers thrown in, of course. Now, I view existence differently: I’ve fallen in love with the mundanity and meaninglessness of the world around me. I don’t dislike having a “boring” life — I value tranquility. The moments I remember are the quiet ones: watching the clouds drift by, trading hesitant laughs with soon- to-be-not-strangers and gazing out the window on long drives with my mother. I expect my “future” to become more boring: I’ll work a mediocre nine-to-five job to support myself, take my dog for walks and read. Genuinely, I can’t wait. As I grow older and days slip by at startling speeds, I can’t help but notice how my life is, for lack of a better word, unremarkable. This seems especially true when I speak to my friends, who all effortlessly bag internships, maintain their 4.0 grade point averages and travel voraciously around the world — all of which is faithfully documented on social media. I suppose it makes sense; the communities many of us come from are filled with expectations of medical school, McMansions and the (false) meritocracy. It prides the fruits of “productivity” above all else. I would be considered a failure by any of these standards — I haven’t given my parents much to brag about. However, I don’t think of myself as a failure, and I don’t think of anyone as a failure. Recently, I’ve begun reading basic philosophy. I know, another classic college kid trying to philosophize their way out of existential dilemmas while having fake-deep conversations in their residence hall room. But hear me out: I refuse to ascribe meaning and purpose to existence. Nihilism, absurdism and existentialism are three similar schools of thought you might be familiar with. They all operate under the same basic principle — that life has no meaning — but have notable differences. As someone who has anxiety, embracing the meaningless and the mundane was the kindest thing I could do for myself. I used to spend nights awake agonizing about the past, being anxious about the future I felt locked into and figuring out how to finish the puzzle of what I was supposed to be. Especially during the pandemic, when my world became confined to my residence hall room, I felt so overwhelmed by anxiety that my hands often shook with fear. Put simply, I needed to “touch grass” to be reminded of my insignificance. Thus, after a breaking point, I decided to reevaluate my worldview. After researching different schools of thought, nihilism, which says that existence is completely meaningless and therefore futile, seemed like the obvious choice for further research. However, upon discovering that all three philosophies are also known for their lack of societally accepted “morality,” I felt lost again. As much as I wanted to abandon all concern for the conventions of societal existence, I was hesitant to fully accept these philosophies. I believe in the importance of treating others with kindness and a general concept of socially accepted “morality” — whatever that could mean. L ike many American students, I grew up being told by my parents that attending college was not optional — it was mandatory. Because of this, I had no plan B for what to do after high school. My parents believed in the power of education to serve as a vessel of social mobility and to provide me and my siblings with a more fulfilling life than we would have otherwise had. The question of whether college is still worth it, especially with the rise in student debt and increasing tuition costs, is hotly debated. After a few minutes of scrolling through any social media platform, you will find an abundance of day traders, entrepreneurs and influencers claiming that college is a waste of time. Even Elon Musk has questioned whether the workforce needs college graduates. As a recent college graduate who has often contemplated the value of my University of Michigan undergraduate degree, I can confidently answer that yes, college is still worth it. While there are people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg who have led extremely successful careers without earning a college degree, their stories are exceptions to the rule. For the average person, earning a college degree, including a two-year degree, results in higher annual earnings, a lower chance of being unemployed, a lower chance of living in poverty and higher job satisfaction compared to those with no postsecondary education. Additionally, the median annual earnings has continued to climb for people with Bachelor’s degrees, while those without are not experiencing these increases. Of course, there are people who have been financially successful without going to college, but if the pandemic economy and the Great Recession taught us anything, it’s how insecure the job market is. While business ventures may fall apart, a college degree never expires. Whether it is ethical to judge someone’s abilities or intellect based on a college degree is a separate issue. From an economic standpoint, a college education can be one of the greatest investments a person makes. There are caveats, including the long-term return-on-investment when high student debts are considered, but overall, there is still clear evidence that a college degree is worth it. The financial benefits of a college degree are not the only things that make college worth it. We often treat college as a means to an end — typically a high-paying job — but there is so much more we can take away from the experience. College provides an abundance of opportunities that give us new passions, new skills and new perspectives. Clubs, Fraternity & Sorority Life and on-campus job opportunities give students the ability to explore new and varied interests in a way they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Student organizations can serve as creative outlets, opportunities for humanitarian activities and resources for developing skills that are vital in and out of the workforce. The skills we learn and develop in college are necessary for every aspect of life. Embedded in college curriculums are the coursework and projects which provide tools that help us navigate the world. Though I hated each and every one of the presentations I had to give in front of a lecture hall filled with my peers, I developed the ability to effectively communicate big ideas concisely to a variety of audiences. Even though group projects are usually dreaded, they provide the perfect opportunity to progress our ability to work with others and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. The exorbitant amount of reading and writing that is required for many classes expands our ability to problem solve, think critically and analytically and identify the main points of an argument. If any of those sound like lines from a job posting, it’s because those are the skills employers want and that colleges provide. Nothing matters, hopefully Yes, college is still worth it Design by Madison Grosvenor 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. MARY ROLFES Editorial Page Editor Julian Barnard Zack Blumberg Brittany Bowman Elizabeth Cook Brandon Cowit Jess D’Agostino Andrew Gerace Jessie Mitchell Mary Rolfes Gabrijela Skoko Jack Tumoowsky Joel Weiner Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. CALDER LEWIS Editor in Chief EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS THEODORA VORIAS | OPINION COLUMNIST MEERA KUMAR | OPINION COLUMNIST Theodora Vorias is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at tvorias@umich.edu. Meera Kumar is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at kmeera@umich.edu. Read more at michigandaily.com Read more at michigandaily.com