Should You Get a College Degree?
While not all careers require a college degree, getting one can provide you with important benefits. A college degree could be beneficial regardless of your career plans. The skills and experience you gain in college can help you in many other areas of your life, including your health and social life.
10 Reasons to Go to College
1. Pursue Your Interests and Passions
Going to college allows you to learn more about topics or subjects that interest you, allowing you to explore your passions in greater depth or find new ones. College can also help you narrow these down, which can make it easier for you to decide what you want to do for a living.
2. Sharpen Your Skills
College can help develop new and current skills. Some skills are provided in nearly every liberal arts education, such as writing and public speaking. Other expertise learned can be used in different areas of your life, such as communication skills that you can use at your job and in your interpersonal relationships or technological skills that you might need in your career.
3. Challenge Yourself
Going to school gives you an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself. You might do this by studying a new subject or learning a new skill, such as a foreign language. This can boost your self-confidence and help you make the most of your college experience.
4. Build a Professional Network
When you look for a job after graduation, having a professional network that you built in college can be a big help. Talking to faculty, meeting alumni in your field, and taking part in events and conferences your school holds can help you gain networking opportunities. Your network can make it easier to get your foot in the door of a company you want to work for.
5. Gain a Competitive Edge
While you might not need a college degree for certain jobs and positions, having one can help provide you with a competitive edge to find a job after you graduate. Having a college degree shows employers that you can handle responsibilities, manage your time, and achieve goals.
6. Increased Salary Potential
When you have a college degree, your chance of earning more money increases considerably. According to Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), adults who have a bachelor’s degree make an average of $2.8 million, or $70,000 per year, throughout their careers.
7. Make Lasting Connections
Going to college can help you form lasting connections with others that can lead to relationships that last for several years or even decades. You might also build connections with others in your field, which can help you with your career goals.
8. Set a Good Example
Being a college graduate means you were willing to take on challenges throughout your education and provides others with the inspiration to potentially further their education. Meeting admissions and graduation requirements shows that you were able to successfully complete these challenges.
9. Have a Longer and Healthier Life
You might be surprised to learn that having a college education could lead to a longer and healthier life, but research backs up this claim. A 2019 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults with a 4-year college degree had a longer life expectancy compared to those with a lower level of education.
10. Sense of Accomplishment
Earning a college degree can provide you with a strong sense of accomplishment. Having your diploma means that you were able to put in the time and effort to learn new material, develop new skills, pass exams, complete projects, and handle all other tasks required to graduate.
If you are thinking of getting a college education, contact Post University. We have associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degree programs available.
Thank you for reading! The views and information provided in this post do not reflect Post University programs and/or outcomes directly. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, you can find a complete list of our programs on our website or reach out directly!
Please note jobs, career outcomes, and/or salaries highlighted in this blog do not reflect jobs, career outcomes, and/or salaries expected from any Post program. To learn more about Post’s program and their outcomes, please fill out a form to speak with an admissions representative.