So, why should you go to college? The obvious reason is so that you will be able to get a secure job that pays well. Those without college degrees tend to make almost half of those with them, and often struggle to find good jobs that pay well enough to support families, or even offer health benefits. Having a college degree also means more stability in your job down the road. Organizations are willing to invest more in their college educated employees, and they are often resistant to layoffs or downsizing.
The value of a college degree is not merely in the money. Taking part in the dynamic college experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and everything that comes with it helps to shape young individuals into adults. Being on your own at college helps you to learn responsibility, accountability, how to work with groups of people, how to work independently, and encourages time management and organizational skills. All of these things will help to serve you in your professional and personal life forever. You will have the tools to be a better employee, a better spouse, a better parent, and a more responsible citizen. Another point of value about earning a college degree is that you will also have the opportunity to establish contacts with instructors and classmates that can help you later on in graduate school or in your career.
The value of a college degree extends beyond the person that earns it. Sure, you will make more money and have health benefits that will help you to be a healthier individual and thus potentially live longer, but you will also be contributing to the welfare of society as a whole when you go to college. Though it might be hard to conceive of, the more college-educated individuals that are out in the world, the better off everyone is. Often, individuals with college degrees are more civic-minded. That means that they are more apt to contribute to charitable causes, volunteer, and commit time and money to other forms of philanthropy. Attending college broadens your scope of the world. You learn to see beyond the corners of your house, your family, your town, and learn to understand the diversity of the world. For these same reasons, those with college educations are also more inclined to vote, and know what and whom they are voting for. All of these factors help to contribute to a society working to lessen poverty, crime, and disease, which ultimately is a benefit to everyone.
When making the decision about attending college, know that the earlier you go, the better. Though it is perfectly plausible to attend college after several years of working, you will find that you will have a harder time proving yourself without a college degree. Depending on the type of job you are seeking, you will have a more difficult time getting job interviews, and you will probably have a more difficult time promoting yourself in an interview. So as you can see, the value of a college degree isn't just about making large piles of money, or being the CEO of a corporation, it is about developing yourself, learning about the world around you, and embracing diversity. With those traits developed, you will enter the workforce with not only a college degree, but you will also be equipped with the ability to be a diligent, motivated, open-minded, and compassionate employee and person.
