College, Not Just for a Career by John

College, Not Just for a Career by John - October 2024 Scholarship Essay

There are plenty of benefits to earning a college degree, if there weren’t students wouldn't actively pursue them. Personally, I started my degree in hopes of building experience and skills in my field before I started my career. I think, from my limited knowledge, college is great for that. The college I'm attending has great options for internships and experience within each field and major. As I've attended college, I still continue in hopes of building that experience and job skills, however, I've also learned about multiple other benefits firsthand.
One huge benefit I hadn't even considered going into college is the experience. Growing up, I heard the term "the college experience" a handful of times, but I never really understood it. Even through my first couple weeks, I didn't understand it, but then I joined the soccer club. I ended up meeting some of the coolest people I've ever met. The guys on the team are great and if I had only focused on the educational and career focus benefits of college, I would've never met them.
Of course, meeting people and growing connections with your peers isn't the only benefit of college and pursuing a degree. One major benefit is the obvious educational aspect. I'm in so many classes that don't fit with my major of computer science, but even if it doesn't contribute directly to my major, I'd still argue they're hugely beneficial. This semester I'm in a history of digital media course, which turns out to be one of my favorite classes. I find it so interesting, which honestly, surprised me. Even just getting through your generals, students are able to find new passions and interests in topics they'd otherwise never know about simply by taking the courses they need to graduate.
Overall, pursing a degree in any major leads to many benefits: meeting new and possibly lifelong friends, growing experience in your specific field, and finding new passions you wouldn't otherwise come across.