Why College?

There comes a time, in this modern era, when young adults contemplate attending a higher education facility of some sort.  Some pose the question, “Why go to college?”  The truth is, there is not one definite answer to suit every situation.  My best convincing argument is that college gives each person the chance to enhance opportunities and experiences for themselves not only to aid in a successful future, but also a successful present.

University of Northern Iowa

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2014, young adults ages 20-24 with a bachelor's degree or higher had an employment rate of 88.1% in the United States. Therefore, going to college does help in job marketability, giving each person the chance to pick a career path that they can see themselves pursuing for the rest of their working life.

Aside from going to college for job benefits and academics, I think there are other areas of the college experience that are sometimes overshadowed:

The social aspect is huge. Heading off to a place full of new people is difficult, no matter how sociable any one person seems! College makes individuals step out of their comfort zone to make new friends and connections. Developing relationships with peers, professors, advisers, etc. will help get through the best of times, and maybe the worst of times, during college.

Juggling social events, studying, organizations, jobs, meetings, exercising, projects, financial situations, family (and much, much more!) help in the development of time management skills. Time is a precious commodity in college. Figuring out how to utilize time to its fullest will help in being successful not only during college, but after college when entering the “real world” as well!

Workloads and to-do lists pile up from time-to-time. At first this could get the best of some, but it’s important to keep in mind that college is, in part, meant to test mentality and ability to handle stress. Because of these testing workloads, young adults are able to develop a mental toughness and confidence (especially through the gratifying feeling of accomplishing tasks!)

These are just a few features, in addition to job marketability, that I personally feel are valid reasons to pursue a higher education. There are countless more explanations out there! I encourage you, or anyone you know, who is contemplating a higher education to take the leap and stride it out!