Earning a college degree has a positive impact professionally and personally.
Although earning a college degree involves much hard work, determination, time and even personal and financial sacrifice, the rewards you will eventually reap will make it well worth the effort in the end. After all, earning a college degree has a positive impact on your life, not only professionally and socially, but also mentally and physically.
Knowledge
Henning W. Prentis, Jr., former Armstrong Cork Company chairman, once said, "A well-informed, articulate, and courageous citizenry is indispensable to the maintenance of political, intellectual, economic and spiritual freedom." The major benefit of earning a college degree is that it increases your knowledge. As a result, you are better equipped to understand the world around you, express yourself with clarity and conciseness, defend your beliefs and ideas, make informed and rational decisions and, ultimately, perhaps even achieve enlightenment.
Self-Confidence
There is much personal satisfaction to be gained from earning a college degree. While attending college you become increasingly self-confident with each course you take, not only because you're becoming better educated, but also because you know that you're steadily progressing toward achieving a goal that not just anyone can achieve. At graduation you should have the confidence it takes to stride boldly into the world because you are assured that you possess the knowledge and skills necessary for success.
Professional Competence
In college, you learn valuable skills that can help you obtain your dream job after graduation. Once you're employed, you can advance to higher positions within the organization. You also learn evaluate and utilize information, analyze problems and find solutions, think critically and work with diverse groups of individuals--a highly valued ability in today's global economy.
Mental and Physical Health
According to a study published in "Better Nutrition," people who obtain a higher education are normally healthier than people who earn only a high school diploma. For one, they can afford better health care, but they also tend to be more knowledgeable regarding diet and exercise. Additionally, educated individuals tend to use their minds more in both their professional and personal lives, and research has demonstrated that people who actively use their minds throughout their lifetimes not only live longer, but also have fewer incidences of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Earning Power
Although there are exceptions, people with college degrees earn more over their lifetimes than people with only high school diplomas. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average college graduate will earn $2.1 million over his or her lifetime, compared to $1.2 million for the average high school graduate. Plus, if you earn an advanced degree, your lifetime income will be even higher. A person with a master's degree will earn an average of $2.5 million; a doctoral degree, $3.4 million; and a professional degree, $4.4 million.
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