When we graduate from Kent State, what will we have to show for it? Some may say that you spend somewhere near $80,000 just to receive a diploma. But that diploma is just a piece of paper – probably the most expensive piece of paper you’ll ever hold.

The thing is, you are getting so much more than a degree saying that you paid your tuition and maybe went to class. Sure, that bowling class you took sophomore year probably has nothing to do with your future career. Chances are taking that class has done something to shape who you are though.

Not every LER will help you get a job in your desired field, but it does help make you a well-rounded person. College exposes us to a marketplace of ideas. We’re given the opportunity to see the world in the eyes of our neighbors and to learn from that. That is, if you take that opportunity.

Sure, the classes are just as important – even the ones that we think don’t matter. They give us the training and the experience to market ourselves in our futures. Classes can be a drag, and at times seem pointless, but they prepare us for our busy futures.

Is it possible to get the same type of life education outside of college? Probably. College isn’t for everyone, and some people lead very successful, fulfilling lives without a diploma. So why are we paying so much for it? When you sign that tuition check, you’re paying for more than classes; you’re paying for all the experiences of college.

You are telling potential employers that you had the persistence to make it through four (or five) years of college.

So when you finally get to hold that diploma in your hands, hold it proudly. Sure, you’re probably thousands of dollars in debt – but ideally it will be worth it in the end.

The above editorial is a consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.