Should More Students Go Pro Sooner?

Here's what I'm thinking...

We're all used to athletes going pro before they finish college.

Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Tracy McGrady, Saquon Barkley, etc. The list goes on and on.

What we're not used to are other types of students going pro sooner.

But why not?

The goal of going to college is to get a job that will allow you to make a good living and maximize your earning potential over the life of your career, not necessarily to get a degree.

I understand some degree programs need to be finished. Like engineering and medicine. That totally makes sense.

But what about other students? What if business students were offered a job after an internship their junior year? Should they go back to college or take the job?

My take on this is that more students should be getting jobs earlier. Why not give a promising marketing student, a proficient computer science major, or a skilled radio television and film student a job after their sophomore or junior year so they can build their skills on the job and start their career? Why do they need to go back to get a piece of paper?

Ok, so why exactly would this make a difference? First of all, students will learn more on the job and improve their skills faster, similar to pro athletes. Secondly, students will end up earning $35k+ instead of incurring an additional $15k+ in debt. That's a $50k+ swing in a single year.

Or maybe some degree programs like teaching, business, computer science, etc., should be shrunk to 3 years so students can start earning and paying off student loans faster. (Let's be honest, do you really need to take that History of Rock & Roll class in order to become a rockstar programmer?)

The main point is that I don't think the last year of college is necessary for most students and that a year-long internship or apprenticeship program at the right business would be a better use of time for students looking to improve their skills in an economy that cares more and more about your portfolio and not what school you graduated from.

What's your take? Do you agree or disagree? Leave a comment to let me know.