You want to party all weekend long? You want to meet the cutest girls in town? You looking to improve your social standing? Well hopefully these are not the main reasons you are looking into getting an education, but if you need more reasons to convince you to get an education then you came to the right place.
Young people often ask why is education so important? This article is designed to provide 5 valid reasons that every young person should pursue a post secondary education.
1. Apart of growing up. When we think about growing up and our younger years, we always think of school, it is simply a part of life. Not only will school help you mature but it is an excellent buffer zone between being young and starting work. You got the rest of your life to work, why start at age 18 when you can be in school getting an education.
2. Meet new people. I am not talking about trying to pick up girls, I am referring to all of the networking that is possible in College/University. Not only will you meet friends for life but most of these friends will be in the same field of work and an excellent source of networking in the future. On top of new friends, you will meet many professors that could be potentially helpful in you getting the job of your dreams.
3. Learning experience. Not only will you learn how to drink 6 beers in 10 minutes, you will also learn how to manage time effectively so that you have time for everything. You will obtain many valuable skills in school that will be really helpful when you finally enter the workforce. School helps you deal with deadlines, pressure, stress, networking, proper note taking, and money management amongst the many other things. If you choose not to pursue any educational endeavours after high school then you will be a 18 year old in the workforce without the many valuable skills that employers seek.
4. Something to be proud of. Once you get that piece of paper displaying your name, it is yours for the rest of your life and no one can take it away from you. This will also set a good example if you have any younger siblings or younger people that look up to you.This is one of those benefits of going to college that requires intrinsic motivation. You have to really want something to be proud of for the rest of your life.
5. Increase your income/earning potential. Let’s be honest, this is why a majority of people go to school, to make more money in the future. This one of the main benefits of a college education. Your income earning potential will increase greatly with a college education. You could argue and say there are different ways to make money, but with an education (depending on the major) you are pretty much going to find work for the rest of your life. On top of having solid work, odds are you will find a career in something that you truly enjoy, instead of some meaningless position. The income you make also varies on the field, but most fields will pay more than if you did not have an education.
Why is education so important? Your turn to chime in with some thoughts. How many more benefits of a college education can you think of?
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I still think the partying and girls should be #1.
Aside from these perks, as cheezy as it might sound, I think the best reason to go to college is to learn. While the other items you have listed are quite legitimate (especially increased earning capacity), there is a tremendous value in learning for the sake of learning. Study the things you love and the things that fascinate you, not the things that you think will help you make the most money or will make you marketable. You’ll come out a better and happier person.
I agree with most of your reasons, although I do feel that a large portion of reasons 1, 2 and 3 comes from the fact that I’m living on campus accommodation. While I am only about an hour or two away from home (I hail from small, sunny Singapore), I feel that I have become much more independent (doing my own laundry, cooking for myself, etc) in a way not possible had I stayed home or not gone to college. Furthermore, staying in a hostel does mean some making of friends and networking is in a way, necessary.
Therefore, while I agree with MoneyGrubbingLawyer that the one of the best reasons to go to college is to learn (I’m majoring in History because I love it, career prospects or the lack thereof notwithstanding), I do also think that some of the best things and knowledge I will take with me from college are not entirely academic.
Finally, I think another good reason to attend college would be to challenge oneself, be it in terms of academics or the other life lessons and skills you mentioned.