You’ve completed high school. The natural next step would be to attend college. However, we hear stories about many vacancies employers are struggling to fill. Thus, many young people start considering the pros and cons of pursuing a college degree. After all, is it worth spending your money on college when you can find a job and start working as soon as possible?
It is a genuine and fair question in many young minds. Attending college may not be the next best step for some high school students. But should you completely write higher education off your list?
There are many reasons you should go to college and complete your education. You need to look beyond just immediate employment opportunities and look at the bigger picture.
Why Should you Pursue a College Degree
Here are some reasons why you should consider going to college:
1. You Can Withstand Economic Downturns
Earning a degree is not just about getting employed once. It helps you get into a stronger position and has many long term benefits. You may be a graduate in one of the hottest job markets right now. However, are you sure these economic circumstances will remain the same all your life?
With COVID not going away any time soon, we have seen even the most stable economies taking a toll. Nothing is permanent, especially not a job market and being prepared for an economic crisis is the least you can do to secure financial stability.
So, if you find yourself out of a job for any reason, you will still have a better chance of being employed compared to someone who did not complete their higher education. Employers always prefer candidates with a better educational background.
In simple terms, the more educated you are, the lesser are your chances of being unemployed for long. We are in a job market where employers are picky. Therefore, please don’t give them any reason to reject you, especially your education.
2. You Can Make Professional and Social Connections
Expanding your social and professional circle is one of the many benefits of earning a college degree. You may not learn as much inside the classrooms as you can through different college experiences you get through meeting new people every day. You get new skills and can make connections that go beyond the boundaries of your college. You will meet great people from the faculty who may have a lasting influence on your career.
These people may help you get your first job and jumpstart your career. You will learn about a lot of jobs through your college mates. They may recommend you to their bosses, helping you get a good job. These personal connections are necessary once you step into the professional world.
3. You Can Develop Your Soft Skills
You get a chance to develop your soft skills when you meet people at college. Networking helps you develop non-technical skills, and communication is one of them. You can improve your interpersonal skills like digital fluency, critical thinking, information literacy and teamwork through your experiences in college.
Going to college opens you up to different people’s perspectives and points of view. You also get to experience what soft skills other people have, and you can get a chance to practice these skills. These skills will help you your entire life, not only professionally but also personally. Having the opportunity to practice these skills in college is a great plus point.
College also pushes you to become professionally polished and more organised. Most students pay for their classes and try not to attend them all. Students usually have too much on their plate when in college. Many students look for services where they pay someone to write my assignment. Taking academic assistance from British Assignments Help is a great option and completely legal.
You will also meet people dedicated to your studies. They will even help you work hard to be like them. You need to be on your best personal discipline and organisation if you wish to succeed in college. And, these qualities will help you a lot all your life.
4. You Can Increase Your Earning Potential
One of the biggest and the most obvious benefits of attending college is increasing your earning potential. There is a strong relationship between your earning potential and your level of education. Some career fields only employ students with particular educational backgrounds. Therefore need to attend college if you wish to join a profession like medicine, aviation or engineering.
The skills and knowledge you gain in college increase your earning potential tremendously. Earning a college degree is a step towards getting higher education like a master or PhD. However, not all students going to college end up pursuing a doctorate. Therefore, a college degree creates multiple possibilities for you in the future. However, it is crucial to recognise you are building a foundation for yourself through a college education on which you will base your entire professional future.
5. You Can Gain Diverse Perspectives
College life will help you meet people from different walks of life. They will open you up to new world perspectives and life experiences. Students from different traditions, cultures and backgrounds study together, making college a great way to become more patient and tolerant to other people’s beliefs. Such experiences help you learn and grow.
If you come from a challenging background, you will meet people with even more tough lives. It will help you get over your insecurities and become a better person. Seeing things from different perspectives will improve your way of thinking, which will help you all your life.
6. You Can Meet Professional Licensure Requirements
As mentioned before, you need a college degree to pursue professional certifications and licenses. You may not be considering a career along these lines now, but you never know what path you will need to choose in the future. Therefore, it is best to get basic education and pursue more important degrees later in life.
For example, if you wish to be a nurse, you have to take particular exams for which you need a college degree. It is a standard, and you cannot work as a medical professional without meeting this bare minimum requirement. Similarly, a college degree is required to work as a social worker, therapist, teacher, attorney, realtor, or other fields.
Therefore, even if you are not considering getting into any of these professions right now, you may change your mind later. It is best to complete your education, so you don’t have to forego your desired career later on only because you didn’t complete a college degree.
7. You Have a Power No One Can Take Away from You
Our elders often tell us to invest in something that will give us great returns all our life. And, what’s better than investing in your education? What you experience, discover and learn in college will remain with you all your life. No one can take your knowledge away from you. Education is the biggest acquisition you can make in your life.
With higher education on your resume, you will have something you can rely on in the future. It will not only benefit you, but you can also pass on this treasure to other people and your future generations. One learned person in the family can change the course of your entire family and future generations. And, chances are, once you start enjoying learning and education, you will remain hooked to it all your life. Thus, there are no disadvantages to going to college whatsoever.
Be Confident and Make an Informed Choice
Making big decisions that can affect all your life is not easy. It’s best if you took your time to weigh the pros and cons of going to college. Don’t rush into making any decision. While we have provided here some solid reasons why you should not rule out going to college, the decision is entirely yours to make.
Whatever decision you make, be confident about it. Even if not considering going to college for any reason right now, don’t completely take it off the table. You can always come back to college whenever you find the time right. There is no age for attending college. You only need to be dedicated to your studies and passionate about learning. If you are willing and motivated to get an education, you can earn a college degree even if you are 60! In fact, going back to college after 50 is becoming a trend of sorts.
With so many college graduates earning well and leading a happy and prosperous life, many high school students consider it the best to attend college. There will be some challenges, but all of this will be worth it in the end when you have a college degree that takes you places.
We wish you the best in your future endeavours and hope you make the best decision for yourself and your future.