When you start to list out all the reasons to go to college once you’ve finished high school, you might find there are both pros and cons to the ideas. After all, college is certain to be hard work, and there are many stories about highly successful people who didn’t go at all. So, is it worth going to college? What are the benefits of having a degree?
These are good questions. If you go to college, you’ll be investing a lot of time and money into the process, so you’ll want to ensure there is a reason for going and that it will help you in life. If it won’t, there is no point in going at all, isn’t that right? Perhaps, although the following ideas should help you understand the many different reasons why going to college could be the right thing for you (although, of course, it won’t be the right thing for everyone – never feel pressured into going if you know it won’t be a good place for you or worthwhile thing to do).
Higher Salaries And Lower Unemployment
There have been many studies carried out regarding how useful a university degree might be. One thing that these studies have concluded is that a degree will enable you to make more money, and it is more likely you’ll get a job in the first place. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics even notes that in 2020, the average weekly salary of someone without a college education was $781, whereas the salary for someone with a degree was $1,305. Although the first figure might sound reasonable, when you compare it to what you could have, it starts to look less tempting.
The same group also looked into unemployment and realized that there was only a 3.2 percent unemployment rate among people aged over 25 who had a degree. This is compared to the same age group with a high school diploma as their highest level of education, where the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent.
In other words, although a degree is certainly no guarantee that you will get a job and earn a lot of money, the statistics show that it is more likely, which is why it could be a good idea to use the free high school GPA calculator to see which colleges would work out well for you.
You’ll Have Time To Explore Your Career Options
Choosing a career is easy for some people. They will have always known what they wanted to do, and that idea and the passion behind it won’t have wavered since they were children. However, in reality, this is quite a rare thing, and the truth is that in many cases, young adults leaving high school won’t have any idea what they want to do with their lives. This is by far the most common situation people find themselves in.
If you don’t know what you want to do as a career and you don’t go to college, you’ll have to pick something almost at random. You might then find you are in a career that doesn’t really suit you, but because you have the knowledge and experience within it, there is nothing else you can do. This would mean you were unhappy but had very few options (of course, there are always options, but it may not feel that way when you are in the situation yourself).
If you do go to college, you’ll have a lot more breathing space to work out what it is you want to do. You’ll understand what you’re good at and what you enjoy (and ideally, these will be the same thing). You’ll have a clearer understanding of how the world works before you have to start earning money. You’ll have a chance to explore different options and ask experts questions that you don’t have in the ‘real world’.
This kind of extra time (along with the tools needed to point you in the right direction) could be invaluable and will certainly make a big difference in terms of your future career and happiness.
Valuable Networking Connections
It’s not just about what you know when it comes to finding the right career or even getting your first (or subsequent) job. At least some of the time, it could also come down to who you know, and when you go to college, you’ll have the opportunity to meet many more people than you ever would in any other situation.
Some of these people will become lifelong friends, and friends are crucial to a happy life. Others will be able to help when it comes to your career – they’ll have a job opening at just the right time, or they’ll be able to put in a good word with their manager. Perhaps they’ll even go into partnership with you. Plus, you’ll be able to return the favor and help others in a variety of different ways. The more you can help, the more help you’ll get in return.
It is certainly possible – and often necessary – to network in your career, but if you want a great start and the chance to meet many more people, starting in college is a great thing to do.
Increased Knowledge
Learning on the job is something that can be highly beneficial. If you’re a practical kind of learner who prefers to watch others and then follow their lead, college might not be the best thing for you (although there are practical courses, so it depends on what you want to do). If, however, you learn in a different way and you like to absorb as much knowledge as possible in a variety of different ways, college is the answer.
In college, you’ll be able to attend many different classes and you’ll have access to world-class libraries and professors. You can learn from the best so that by the time you want to put those skills to good use, you are confident in your knowledge and can use it in the right way to propel your career forward.
Personal Growth
It’s vital to learn as much about yourself as anything else in life. If you can do this, you’ll understand more about what you can and can’t do, and perhaps even what you should and shouldn’t do. You’ll become more independent and more confident.
This is where a college degree can really be beneficial. As you progress through your college career, you’ll find many different ways to learn more about yourself as well as the subject you’re studying. This means that by the time you graduate, you are more confident in yourself as a person, and you know what works for you and what doesn’t.
Depending on who you are, rushing straight into a career can mean that you don’t leave enough time to learn these important things, and you might always be wondering exactly what makes you, you. This can be extremely limiting in many different ways, including your future career.
