Life is full of adventure and opportunity. You just need to be able to spot these chances and have the courage to try them out. They won’t always work in the way you want them to, but no matter what happens, you will learn a great deal and that will help you in the future, even if the risk itself did not pay off.
College is like this. College is a risk in some ways, and a huge opportunity in many others, and yet some people are worried about trying it. Whether they are wondering what to do after high school and feeling scared about leaving home and studying for a degree, or they are stuck in a career they dislike and know that college is the answer to moving forward, they still don’t do what needs to be done. This is a shame, since getting a college degree is the answer to many issues, and will certainly help you make decisions about your life that will ensure you are much happier.
If you are wondering whether college is the right choice for you, or if you know it is but you’re afraid to get started, keep reading. Here are some of the best reasons to go to college, and understanding these reasons might help you take the next step and get started with the rest of your life.
You’ll Earn More Money
Although most people would probably not want to admit that money is incredibly important to them, the fact is that money is crucial in life. You don’t have to have millions in the bank, but you do need to have enough to ensure that you are comfortable, that you aren’t struggling, and that you can do what you want in life. Although this doesn’t always mean you need to have a college degree, often it does—the fact is that those who have been to college usually earn more than those who have not. Of course, there are exceptions, and if you start your own business you’re in control of your earnings (to some extent, at least), but in general this is the truth; a degree gets you a higher income.
In fact, a study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that college graduates will earn around $1 million more than those without a degree over their working lives. That’s a very large amount of money, and it’s certainly a point to bear in mind.
There Are More Jobs
Have you looked at the job market and become worried that you won’t be able to find a career to move into once you leave school? Or maybe you’re very keen to switch careers to one you know you’ll like more than you do now, only you’re concerned that there are no jobs for you to apply for once you do that. In this case, it can feel like a much better idea to stick with a career you don’t like rather than run the risk of being unemployed.
It’s true that there is an issue when it comes to jobs; in some areas there are more candidates than career opportunities. Yet when you have a degree, you are much more likely to find a job than if you don’t have one. That’s because employers are looking for this qualification on a résumé; they actively want people who have been to college, studied, worked hard, shown they have discipline, shown they have a number of soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and research ability, and so on.
Although it’s entirely possible that someone without a degree has all of these skills, an employer would not quickly able to see this. A degree is like a shorthand that shows them exactly what you are capable of, as well as showing them that you have qualifications in specific areas and have the right knowledge to do the job role they want to fill. If the job market seems like a scary place, having a degree will reduce the fear factor and make the process a lot easier.
You’ll Come Out Of Your Shell
College isn’t just about learning facts and skills that will help you in your career, even if that’s what a lot of people think. College is actually the first step to adulthood, since you will be living alone (albeit with like-minded people around you) and fending for yourself for potentially the first time. Of course, this is different if you are returning to college as an adult, but if you are just leaving high school, this can make the transition between childhood and adulthood a much easier one to bear. Rather than being thrown into adult life and feeling wholly unprepared, you will have a chance to find yourself and work out how life works with the safety net of school underneath you.
On top of this, college allows you to come out of your shell and truly be yourself. You can become more outgoing, you can understand how to communicate better, you can express your opinion more, and of course, you’ll learn who you truly are. If you go straight from high school to work, you might miss out on this crucial element of life, and never learn the skills that would help you be happier, healthier, and get further ahead.
You’ll Gain New Skills
Just because you have chosen a particular subject to be your major, that doesn’t mean you have to take other classes that relate to it. In fact, it can often be much better for you to take additional classes that don’t link to your major at all, but that offer you the chance to learn other another subject and gain additional skills on top of the main reason you went to college in the first place.
To begin with, this will make life at college a lot more interesting. When you are learning about a range of different subjects, you will never be bored. Next, the more you know, the more options you’ll have—it might be that you realize your major is not where your main interests lie, and in fact you want to pursue one of your other subjects more closely. What a great opportunity this is for you; you can ensure you are doing a subject that makes you happy rather than sticking with one that isn’t as interesting or relevant as you first thought. Finally, as previously mentioned, employers are always happy to see as many different skills on a résumé as possible. So, the more you learn about a variety of different topics, the better your chances of getting a good job when you graduate.
It Offers Flexible Learning Opportunities
There are many reasons why someone might not choose to go to college. They might already have a job lined up, for example, or they might know that their chosen career doesn’t require a college degree. Perhaps they have other responsibilities to take care of, meaning that there is no time for college. There are a plethora of reasons, and in some cases, these people will be perfectly happy with their choice.
However, over time it might be that those who were unable to—or chose not to—pursue a college degree change their minds. They might understand how valuable a degree like this is, or they might want to change their careers and therefore now need a degree that they didn’t before.
In the past, this might have been problematic. It would have entailed leaving their current job and returning to a physical place of study, which of course, would be difficult, particularly as you get older and have bills to pay and potentially a family to take care of. Alternatively, they might choose to take on a part-time course, but this would mean it would take a long time to gain those additional qualifications, and sacrifices might still need to be made.
Today this is no longer an issue. By choosing an online college such as Elmhurst University, you can have it all; you can keep working (and therefore not lose out on any income) and study at the same time because online colleges are entirely flexible. Of course, there will be some degrees, such as nursing, that have a practical element, and this will need to be factored into your plans; but in general terms an online degree means that no matter what else you have going on in your life, you can still go to or return to school and obtain the qualifications you need to change your career and change your life for the better.
It Will Help You Find Your Direction
You don’t have to know exactly where you are going in life as soon as you finish high school. In fact, in the 21st century this is a hard concept to achieve — the world of work is changing all the time, and new jobs are appearing at every step. Plus, even if jobs aren’t appearing and disappearing, the fact is that there are so many potential jobs that it can be hard to choose anyway; you certainly don’t want to start a career only to find that it’s not what you wanted after all. Of course, it is entirely possible (and a good idea) to change to a different career if this happens—as already discussed, but wouldn’t it be better to choose well in the first place?
College can help you do this. Contrary to what many people think, you don’t have to know what you want out of life when you apply for college. If you don’t know what you want to do, you can apply to study a subject you enjoy or that you want to know more about, and see where that could lead you in terms of your career. If you find you don’t like the course, you can find another. Use this time at college to help you determine what it is you love and want to do, and by the time you graduate, you will have a much better idea of what your direction in life would need to be.
You’ll Live A Healthier And Happier Life
As you know, the more education you have, the happier you can be because you’re more likely to get the job you want and earn the money you need to do what you plan to in life. However, did you know that having a college degree will also allow you to be healthier?
Studies have been carried out that have proved that people who have a college education are far less likely to need to see a doctor on a regular basis (apart from an annual check-up, of course, which is always an appointment you should always attend). On top of this, they tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index), and their diets are much healthier. Although this is, of course, a generalization, and there are other factors that must be considered, the people who are healthiest and happiest in life are those who have attended college and obtained a degree or other qualification.
You Can Get Involved
It’s hard to live away from home for the first time, no matter how exciting it might be. However, when you go to college rather than simply move out and start working, you’ll have the opportunity to join a variety of different organizations and clubs. When you do this, you’ll be able to meet new people, make good friends, discover more about yourself, and enjoy new interests (or get more involved in activities you already had an interest in). Not only is this enjoyable, but it’s also a great way to develop as a person. You’ll get more confident, for example, and you’ll feel satisfied with your life.
Although the main reason for attending college should be to get an excellent education and use that to move forward in life, there are so many additional benefits that it would be a shame to miss out on. Take a look at the opportunities that a college education would give you, and you’ll see that it is certainly worth the time and effort you’ll need to put into it.
