Why go to college?

Great question! After all, college is expensive. It is a dive into the deep end of the pool, both academically and socially. It requires years of effort – while in high school preparing for the jump, and while in college involved in the process.

Since it is the ultimate goal of over 70% of high school students, there must be some benefits that far outweigh any negatives that might be encountered along the way.

There are many ways to benefit from a college education, but these are our top 10.

1. Degree = GREATER earning power. No one is going to argue this one – if you go to college you’re going to earn a lot more money over the course of your life. It’s been proven over and over again that higher education increases your ability to earn – from an associate degree on up through a doctorate, wage rates increase with each additional degree.
2. You have more career options. For instance, if you have a bachelor’s degree in business, you might land a job working as a city financial planner, or as a financial officer for a sportswear company. A basic bachelor’s degree can lead you to opportunities in many different kinds of businesses, and with each additional degree, your options grow.
3. A degree is an asset in an ever-changing job market. If you want to be at the top of the list when it comes to looking for a job, a degree is the way to go. Skills are quite often transferrable from one sector of the job market to another.
4. Degreed employees often have access to better health insurance and pension opportunities than those without. This is becoming more and more important as employers are decreasing benefits available to their employees.
5. College educated people tend to be healthier. As the level of education goes up, so does the awareness of what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. College graduates tend to see themselves as healthy, and therefore stay fit, and choose not to smoke.
6. Parents with college degrees have brighter children. It has been shown that children’s cognitive skills, between the ages of 3 and 5 can be correlated to the education level of their mothers. Furthermore, children of college graduates are generally better prepared to enter school than other children.
7. A college degree equates to good news for our country and society in that unemployment rates are significantly reduced in college graduates.
8. Among the most desirable qualities and skills sought by major employers are dependability, reliability, excellent computer and communication skills, and the ability to read and retain what is read. They are also looking for those who can work as a team or independently, those with complex problem solving skills, and innovative thinkers.One of the major benefits of a college degree is the attainment of all of these – combined they comprise a valuable skill set called “resourcefulness.”
9. Those holding higher education degrees rarely end up living at poverty level or below. Their ability to earn more money, and to get and keep career positions are listed as reasons for this statistic.
10. Once you have it — it’s yours, and no one can take it away from you! There is a degree of self-esteem derived from earning your degree, as well as recognition of your accomplishment within the community at large.

Resources

Federal Handbooks – Benefits of a College Degree

If you are looking for a little handbook with pages of valuable information on this subject, this is the place to look. Everything from earnings estimates to improving your place in the job market are here in simple to use format. Go to www.feddesk.com/freehandbooks/021003-2.pdf

College degree benefits, opportunities, and advantages . . .

Course Advantage is a website with a ton of valuable information, not only in reference to why you should go to college, but financial aid, career categories, and where to go to school are included. To check it out go to: www.courseadvisor.com In particular, search for the article regarding trends as related to college degrees: Benefits of a College Degreeby Course Advisor.

Pros and Cons of College Degrees

This article discusses both sides of the issue in a unbiased, objective manner. Go to www.suite101.com/content/the-pros-and-cons-of-college-degrees-a134586

Other Related Links and Resources

• Why go to college? – unt.edu
• Viewpoints: Why should every kid go to college? – sacbee.com
• Poll: Expectations of Sending Children to College Growing Among U.S. Parents – diverseeducation.com