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There's quite a lot of reasons for which people attend college or university. But I think for most people, student's career is an investment, it's just for a better living condition in the future. But sometimes people are even totally ignorant of this fact. For them, attending college or university is as natural as attending high school or elementary school.
Francis Bacon said "Knowledge is power." It is still true today. Knowledge makes you feel superior than other without it. And theoretically the more you know, the higher social status you have. Despite of this realistic reason, people pursue knowledge for a wider field of view, so they can choose the best career for themselves, in order to have a better life. However, knowledge is one of the main elements that increase the life's quality.
After obtaining enough knowledge, we will have something substantial, the diploma. A good diploma means a great school or a popular department, mostly equals high salary and high position. For people who hate reiterative or physical laboring jobs, get a college or university diploma would be the only way to get rid of them. Diploma speaks.
On the other hand, it's common to attend college or university nowadays, so we become less conscious of the reason we are here for. And with the advent of the modern economy theory, trying to make more money and being selfish seems to be less condemned, people adapted to this change and never take money making into account carefully and seriously, it can't be more natural.
Working under the hot sun in the summer and suffer the flood of sweat or sit in the office and enjoy air-condition system, that's the difference between high school diploma and college diploma. I believe that no one would choose the first one 'pleasurably'. And that's why people attend college or university.