Here's a US-centric study that describes both private and public gains (I found the report via Inside Higher Ed). Here's what the press release has to say about the benefits to society:
College graduates are also more likely than others to engage in behaviors that improve their health. Additionally, society reaps significant rewards when a higher percentage of its residents have postsecondary education, the study shows. Higher rates of volunteering, voting and donating blood correspond to higher levels of education as do lower unemployment and poverty rates. Similarly, socially valuable behaviors, such as tolerance for the opinions of others, seem to increase with education. A more educated workforce also would lead to higher wages for all.
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Imagine a person going to a job interview and being turned down because he or she does not have a college education. This is an everyday scenario that happens to many people who are seeking jobs. However, people have the power to change their outcome. Everyone controls his or her own destiny. They control their future, and it’s up to them to determine where they go in life.
After high school people have many options. They can go to junior college, trade school, beauty school, etc. But, I believe a traditional four-year college with a college degree is the best choice. One will greatly benefit when choosing to continue their pursuit for knowledge by taking the next step in education. College education is necessary to one’s success in life because it provides something to fall back on, leads to more opportunities, and brings life experience.
For those who wish to pursue other things a college degree provides something to fall back on just in case their original option doesn’t work out as planned. If one decides to start his or her own business and it is not successful, then they will still have their college education as a back up plan. They can use their college degree to help them get a job with a successful company.
A college degree will also be beneficial if one is pursuing an acting or music career. It is a known fact that not everyone makes it in this industry. Therefore, if one finds that they are not successful, they will have a college education to assist them in finding a new job. A college degree not only provides something to fall back on, it also brings more opportunities.
Those who do not think college is necessary need to strongly reconsider their decision not to go because of all the opportunities and benefits college can provide. A college education provides one with more career options. Today, there are many fields that require a particular degree. With a college degree a person can qualify for jobs that wouldn’t be available to them without one. A college degree is the first criteria that a business looks for, when looking through resumes to set up interviews. UPS’ I.E. manager, Bob Rountree, said, “When reviewing the resume of prospective employees, the first thing I look for is a college degree. It doesn’t matter where it comes from, as long as they have one.”
Higher wages also come with obtaining a college degree. It is proven that a college graduate makes nearly two times the salary of a high school graduate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one with a college degree makes an average of $51,206 a year, where as a high school graduate makes only an average of $27,915 a year. College can be rather expensive, but the difference in pay far outweighs the financial burden. Programs such as scholarships and financial aid are available to assist with the cost. Many people argue that they could be earning money while not attending college, instead of spending money to go. And yes, while this is true, in the long run one will be much better off.
Having a college degree will also make it easier to move up within a company and receive promotions. A college degree provides for easier success. There are many successful high school graduates in our society today, however having a college degree makes it that much easier. College provides one with many perks that otherwise would not be available. Still, more opportunities aren’t the only benefit of going to college, it also brings life experience.
College will bring life experience to those who are already planning on college leading them to greater opportunities. College life shapes the whole person and every aspect of one’s character. College teaches many life lessons. Attending college gives one a sense of responsibility, and teaches students how to survive on their own. It is a step into the real world, and a time when students learn the necessities of life. College benefits, not only the mind, but the entire being. It makes a well-rounded person, and helps prepare one for a life of success. College provides interaction with many diverse people from all across the United States; people from different backgrounds and cultures, which will help students in their everyday life. College teaches time management and organization. No one is there to give students instructions on what to do next. They must develop a strategy to insure completion of their tasks, and this will be beneficial to students all throughout their lives.
College truly shapes the lives of the individuals who choose to attend it. College provides one with many opportunities to get involved and it is through these activities that an individual learns what interests them. Some activities work out and others don’t, but that is the joy of it all. One learns from not only the successes in life, but from the failures as well. An individual gains experience and takes away knowledge from every encounter in their lives, no matter the outcome. College is where people learn who they are and who they want to become.
As a college freshman I can truly say that college has prepared me for the real world. College has helped me establish my future aspirations and decide where I want to go in life. Over the course of just one semester I have become much more responsible. Because I am living in the dorm, I am completely on my own and responsible for myself. I no longer have my parents present to make me get out of bed every morning and go to school. I have to motivate myself, set my own goals for life, and have discipline and self control. I now have to take care of my own meals and keep up with my own appointments. If I forget something or don’t make it somewhere on time, it falls back on me and no one else. I have also learned the skill of time management. I am attending college, while working, maintaining a relationship with my friends and boyfriend, and spending time with my family. My grades are very important to me; therefore I must be able to prioritize. I must know what the most important tasks are complete those first, before anything else. In just one semester I have truly grown up and ventured out into the real world.
College is something that will benefit a person’s life in so many ways. A degree can help someone get a job, teach them the responsibility needed for life, and bring them success. A college degree helps one, not only as a person, but one’s career as well. Getting a college degree is necessary in life because it provides something to fall back on, leads to more opportunities, and brings life experience. Everyone has dreams, and everyone wants to be successful, but with that comes the hard work of obtaining a college degree. In the end, those who are willing to work hard will come out on top.
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