Let's face it. Most of us go or have gone to college because our parents say we should and our high schools encouraged it. We all know the obvious benefits of getting a higher education - gaining the ability to have an intellectual conversation, meeting people and making MORE MONEY. But is that really all college does for young adults?
The answer is absolutely not. People get to know themselves in college, and there is no other institution that teaches you more about your beliefs, values, abilities and limitations. Simply going to class and learning with a room full of strangers and giving your mind to yet another complete stranger to mold is a huge risk. Without college, people take less risks. College provides us with more than an education in the area of our interest. It allows our minds to be challenged. It encourages intellectual growth. Most importantly, college in and of itself is an experience and the opportunities created when you have a degree grow exponentially as you progress through the stages of higher education.
The experience that going to college provides is extremely unique. You are part of a group of young, motivated people with a common goal and interest. You learn together and you grow together. As you get to know more and more people, it really opens your eyes to exactly how diverse our world is. People come from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. You learn that everyone doesn't think the same way you do and not everyone has the same belief system. Sure, this sounds simple enough. Of course people don't think like you, you figured this out in high school, right? This could be true, but very few high school graduates know who they are. I remember graduating high school and thinking I knew everything about everything and everyone. Going to college made me realize that I really have no clue. While coming to this realization sounds frustrating, it was actually quite the opposite. It created a sense of yearning in me. What else don't I know? I need to find out. This is the moment that parents, teachers, and professors hope for. This moment has lit a flame within you to pursue knowledge long after you've graduated from college. This flame of motivation is constantly fanned as you take more classes, write more papers, pass more final exams. You enjoy challenging yourself. You find yourself enjoying learning and realize high school was just there to prepare you for this experience we call college.
So you've graduated college and had this wonderful experience learning about yourself and others. Now what? The number of opportunities for you are abundant. Employers want someone with a degree because it shows that you can be committed, you are intelligent, and you have a desire to learn and grow. Why wouldn't someone want to hire you? You can only get so far with a high school diploma. A college degree will allow you room to advance within the field as you gain more experience. As you advance – more money. We all want to live comfortably and not have any financial hardship. Why not increase your chances of this happening with a degree?
College provides us with more than a piece of paper that says you completed the requirements for this degree. The experience of college itself teaches us more about ourselves and others than what we learn sitting in a classroom. A degree can open so many doors. You just have to take the step. Your future is yours. You are your greatest investment. Why not be the best you can be?
The second paragraph of this column really struck me, specifically, "Without college, people take less risks.". I wonder if any studies have been performed to show whether college students take more risks later in life and how these risks work out for them. I would imagine that risk-takers get better jobs, make more productive families and generally have better lives, but maybe that's not the case. I, personally, see risk-taking as a positive but if not, maybe it's better NOT to go to college... At least for this one, specific aspect.
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