Why You Need an Education by Madison

Why You Need an Education by Madison - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

As students leave high school, there is one major choice that will define their future: they choose to gain a higher education and attend college, or to immediately join the work force. While the process of college may seem daunting to many high school students, it provides numerous short and long term benefits.

The first and most obvious benefit of attending college is a higher earning potential. Even a four year degree, at a cost of around $50,000 dollars, can mean earning up to a million dollars more over a lifetime than just a high school diploma. As your education increases, so does your salary! There will also be a vast increase in job opportunity after graduating college. When individuals enter the workforce with only a high school diploma, many will only be eligible for low-paying entry positions. Employers know that students with a college degree will be better able to think analytically, and have the perseverance to oversee and accomplish tasks from beginning to end.

Another perk to a college education is greater benefits and job satisfaction. Students with a degree are seventy percent more likely to have job benefits like health insurance, while individuals with a high school diploma are less than fifty percent likely to receive the same treatment. College graduates are typically more likely to enjoy their jobs, since their careers are chosen and earn higher pay; opportunities are also greater in areas like job advancement.

Job stability and better family life are also great reasons for going to college. College students are seen as more marketable and valuable in the workplace. In a world where lay-offs and downsizing is too common, this is an amazing benefit. When a company is cleaning house, the first employees to go are usually lower level entry positions, which would be the kind of jobs that individuals with only high school diplomas would have—these unskilled labor positions are ordinary to employers. Family life quality, especially for potential children, goes up when parents have a degree. Studies show that families with parents who attended college are better off socially and economically, and children in those families are more likely to earn a degree themselves.

College will also teach its graduates how to communicate more effectively, and the ability to make better choices. College vastly improves writing and speaking, which impacts not only life in the workplace, but family life as well. The ability to communicate well will ensure success and satisfaction in relationships, which makes life easier and more enjoyable. College also improves mental skills for its students, such as thinking logically and problem solving. This will improve the lives of individuals in everyday life by making commonplace decisions easier with better outcomes.

Many high school juniors and seniors see college as a waste of time and money; if there are already jobs to be had elsewhere, why continue to go to school? However, college offers numerous benefits that include everything from better salaries to increased mental capabilities. Going to college to earn a degree is a choice that will increase the quality of life of students both in a long term and short term setting.