In the inevitably materialistic universe we live in, the game plan for most students after high school is college, for college education seems to hold the key for a bright and successful future. It’s true—education tends to correlate with economic prosperity, but one crucial element in statistics and logic remains: correlation does not imply causation.

Astute and ambitious people typically graduate college with flying colors; in such cases, a college degree does influence what one becomes and where one ends up. However, many say that education plays a very minimal role in the destination of the journey.

People with strong wills often opt to attend college, but it is ultimately their own drive that causes them to be successful — not the fact that they took and passed courses at some university. A diploma doesn’t guarantee the understanding of certain values in life. College can provide knowledge on how to complete a research paper, how to study literature from the 18th century, how to calculate limits using epsilon delta, and so on. But, in the end, the creative sight, the journey of survival, the experiences of the real world, the essential aspects of living life through self-exploration, are not provided merely through college schooling.

In essence, a college education doesn’t necessarily lead to personal success. Based on statistics, a huge number of college graduates today are either unemployed or employed in very basic jobs that require little more than elementary training. On the same spectrum, some very affluent people dropped out of high school or college, or never even attended one at all. Take Steve Jobs for instance. The innovative entrepreneur never completed college, and yet he was able to establish what is now one of the most valuable companies in America. Especially in the business world, cases like these frequently occur.

By no means am I recommending that dropping out of college is the way to go. I am simply underscoring that a college education does not necessarily provide the skills individuals need to work and behave productively. Thus, investing in what is supposedly a “proper” education doesn’t ensure future economic fruition.

Lastly, on a side note to the current seniors, remember that whichever college you end up attending, or whether or not you even attend a college, does not define who you are. Though it sounds cliché, it’s true. It’s ultimately up to us to decide what we will accomplish in the future.