For some, a college education is not that necessary. There are many jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree – secondary education is enough, followed by some specialized training in a certain field. There are other reasons that might get in the way of choosing to go to college right after high school. Some may not have the ability to pay for it and want to spend some time saving up. Others want to take a break for personal reasons.
However, for the majority of young adults there are many benefits to getting a college education. Here are some of them:
- There are many careers that require a college degree.
Though it may seem more practical to you to start working right after graduating high school, the reality is the range of jobs you can enter are limited to entry-level ones. If you want to pursue a career in a more specialized or even technical field, some employers may not even give you the time of day if they don’t see a bachelor’s degree on your resume. Even industries that traditionally did not require a degree are changing. The majority of jobs in manufacturing are now filled by people with a college degree for the first time.
Going to college, no matter what specialization you take up, will widen the career possibilities for you.
- Having a college degree will give you leverage in negotiating your salary.
The mere fact that you have a college degree gives you an edge in terms of your compensation – you can have more confidence in negotiating your salary because of the extra years of education and specialization under your belt. You have shown a degree of maturity in finishing something you started. Employers may have doubts if the highest form of education you have is a high school diploma.
- More than the bachelor’s degree, you get to learn a lot about other subject matters and acquire skills for success.
Taking the extra years of school may prove to be more illuminating for you in terms of what you really want to do in life. The variety of classes you will have to take will expose you to varied topics that you may find interesting and even worthy of pursuing a career in. You will deal with people coming from diverse social and economic background or from other countries in school you may not have encountered before.
- Overall earnings and benefits are higher for those with a college degree, particularly for those with an advanced degree.
Lifetime earnings are generally substantially higher for jobs that require a bachelor’s degree. Healthcare and other benefits are likely to be more generous. Your risk of unemployment is generally lower as well. Looking at fast growing fields like healthcare, most positions will require a bachelor’s degree. Better pay jobs require further specialization, often a master’s degree.
- Beyond academic focus and classes, college is a great place to expose yourself to social situations and extracurricular activities.
Apart from the benefits above, you will also be able to widen your social network and have a chance to start gathering an essential network of people who can be lifelong friends, and potentially help you with possible business ventures in the future.
Participation in various activities that are aligned with your interests will give you the opportunity to build your soft skills and/or develop some of your passions. Everything from sports, music and performing arts, and clubs to charity and many other college-related communities are available to you.
While there are many reasons to getting a college education, it is also critically important to plan for how you will be paying for college. Whether you are on your own or receiving financial support from your parents to pay for the cost of college, it is important that you consider a combination of strategies. From searching for scholarships, saving money and considering insurance to working in an internship or part-time job there are many avenues to explore. This way, you don’t end up repaying college debt for years after college, which can limit your ability to enjoy your life or effect your career choices after graduation.
