Should you go to college or not? It’s a dilemma many people face as they near the end of high school, and it’s something many adults wonder about as well. There are many good reasons to do so, and below are just a few.
You Can Make More Money
Nothing can guarantee you a certain salary, but on average, those who have a college degree can make more money than those who don’t. At many employers, a bachelor’s is the bare minimum educational requirement. With a degree, many different industries are open to you. In some cases, you may simply have the opportunity for a more rewarding career in the same general field. If you are interested in joining the military, that’s no reason to discount college. Your career path as someone with a degree will be very different than that of someone without.
You Can Get a Scholarship
Many decide not to go to college because of the price. However, there are ways to get money to pay for it, and that doesn’t necessarily mean having to take out big loans. You can also apply for scholarships. You can search and apply online for those that you are eligible for and potentially put together enough money to cover most of your costs.
You’ll Expand Your Horizons
Going to college teaches you more about the world. You’ll be exposed to many new and different ideas and meet many different kinds of people. The learning that you do occurs inside and outside the classroom, and there is nothing quite like it as a concentrated period of time in which you have access to so many resources and opportunities. Getting a degree will change you in profound ways and make the world seem bigger.
You’ll Build New Relationships
Making an effort to get to know your classmates, your professors, and the people that you live with is an important part of this experience. You will build many new relationships in college with peers and with your professors. Some of these won’t last beyond the few years that you spend on campus; some won’t last longer than a semester, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t have a profound effect on you all the same. From a professional standpoint, these represent the early days of networking. Some of those you first meet in these years may be a part of your career throughout your life or at least for many years to come.
You’ll Have More Opportunities
One great thing about getting a college degree is that it can be an attractive addition to the perfect resume and make you much more versatile on the job market. This means more opportunities not just in terms of getting a job in the first place but also when it comes to changing careers. Without a degree, if you decide on a career change, the first thing you may have to do is get a bachelor’s degree, which can much more challenging the older you get. With the exception of some specialized fields, a bachelor’s is any subject is often transferable across multiple industries.
