The Reasons Why College Education is Important to Me

Prompt Examples for the "Importance of College Education" Essays

• The Path to Self-Actualization
  Discuss how a college education is a journey toward self-actualization and personal growth. How does it empower individuals to shape their own destinies and realize their full potential?
• Economic Stability and Career Prospects
  Examine the relationship between a college education and economic stability. How does having a degree impact career opportunities and lifetime earnings? Provide examples to support your argument.
• The Advantages of College Education
  Explore the advantages and benefits of pursuing higher education, including the development of essential skills and improved employability. How do these advantages make college education invaluable?
• The Financial Value of a College Degree
  Discuss the financial benefits of obtaining a college degree, such as increased earning potential and job opportunities. Use statistics and real-life examples to illustrate your points.
• Managing Time and Responsibility
  Reflect on the importance of college education in teaching time management, responsibility, and discipline. How do these skills acquired during college benefit individuals in their future endeavors?

Importance of College Education Essay Example

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leader in the civil rights movement, once said, ‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.’ True education is that which prepares you for life. It makes you learn, cultivate and develop the healthy values of life. The education must make you competent enough to cross the obstacles, hardships and hurdles of life. It is the means of developing oneself intellectually and socially. A college education is exceedingly important to me because life is full of opportunities and to make my future successful, I must take advantage of those opportunities.

Education, to me, is not the traditional education in a four-wall classroom environment: it is education for life. My father was not able to attend a college or university because, in Sri Lanka, where he grew up in, even though your scores were good and promising higher education, there were not enough facilities to provide the education needed. My mother, on the other hand, was able to attend a university for two years and then she quit her education due to the political instability of the country and because she had more work experience in her field of choice. My sister is currently pursuing her degree in college and she has also been a reason as to why I want to further my education and take advantage of the opportunities waiting for me.

Not only does my family want me to be successful when I grow up, but so do I. College is an opportunity where I get to go down the path to success and good fortune after I graduate high school. College is important to me because it opens new doors and roads that would not be easily accessible to me if I only had a high school education. In the world we live in, it is better to be fully equipped and prepared with a high standard of knowledge.

I hope that my education never ends because I intend to never stop learning. There’s much more to education than just learning a profession; it is also about being able to think deeply, share ideas, express one’s self, reason and contribute to the world around in an intelligent way. If I were to not attend college, I do not think it will be a possibility for me to unlock new doors: my options will be limited. College is the stepping stone that will help me reach greater heights if I choose to accept and use it.

College is very important to me. A college degree can be my path to attain all the dreams and hopes I wish to achieve. A college degree is an admission ticket to a professional job. My college education will be the foundation of my life. I am certainly looking forward to beginning my college journey and follow my dreams. With my college education, I aspire to do more as I will be prepared to face the work of the world and step into my community armed with knowledge and skills that will enable me to be a useful and productive member of the society.

Importance of College Education

A college education gives people the opportunity to lead themselves down any path that they wish in life. It is a time that students can truly set out of their own. They have the opportunity to become more independent and to take on new responsibilities. The bonuses of a college education include self-actualization, a greater pool of skills, and greater economic stability.

While going to college is a huge commitment to your assets, time, and energy, many studies have concluded that show the benefits of seeking higher education far outweigh the costs. For a successful career, every student needs knowledge, confidence, academic and technicals skills, and social skills. To get these skills, often times a college education is important, as it provides all of these things and more. The importance of college education can in part be seen by its obvious role in people’s lives. But before that, what’s really important to most people is knowing, well before they join a college, what will the end result be?

Most people are unsure of this, and as such, combined with both tuition fees getting higher, and student loans putting a heavier toll on future Masters and Doctors, more and more people choose to seek full-time job opportunities after high school without enrolling into college. However, despite this, it is imperative to seek out a college education. Because in the future you will not only be able to pay off the costs but also earn 30% more money than those who head straight into the labor market straight after high school. In addition, the range of career paths is far larger, than without.

A college education can open many doors in a person’s search for a career. People that have attained a college degree are hired at higher pay and are considered to be much more employable. This means that a college graduate would be more likely to be offered employment than another who did not attend college or did not attain a degree. The unemployment rate for a person with less than a high school diploma is more than three times that of a person with a college degree.

College will also assist in preparing a person for a career in a particular field. In a vast majority of highly specialized jobs, if one does not have a college degree, there is little to no possibility of securing a career in that chosen field. College will give a person the tools to succeed in the field of their choice. These tools would not be available to most people who do not attend college.

Another aspect that should be considered is the fact that people with a college degree will earn significantly more over their lifetime over someone who does not have a degree as shown by the graph above. As a person’s level of education increases, so does their income level. For example: In Massachusetts, the average income for a high school graduate is $46,523. A person who has a bachelor’s degree has an average income of $81,026. For persons with a master’s degree, the average income increases to $96,519 (U.S. Census Bureau). Further backing up these findings, as pointed out by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill in their research studies titled, “Should Everyone Go To College?”, going to college has a financial benefit that makes your time (and mental) sacrifices worth the commitment. According to their research, college graduates earn over $570,000 more in a lifetime with a four-year degree when compared to those that only achieved a high-school diploma. The financial benefits can be even greater for college graduates when you factor in the type of degree, the field of specialization, and the number of scholarships and grants you receive. As one can see, there is a substantial increase in the average income

Even if you don’t want to go to college regularly, it is possible to pursue your bachelor’s degree via distance learning. Many universities provide distance learning programs and courses that you can do from home. Today with the help of technology you can get admission to online degree programs.

Unlike high-school, college requires you to be solely responsible for maintaining your class schedule and completing coursework. Learning to manage your time effectively is an important step that makes life after college much easier. Many books already validate the benefits of creating and maintaining solid routines early in life so that you can keep yourself on the right track towards educational and career success.

Works Cited

1. Fryar, C. D., Hirsch, R., & Lewis, B. (2018). The Importance of College Education: Fact Sheet. National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cac.asp
2. Hossler, D., Schmit, J., & Vesper, N. (1999). Going to college: How social, economic, and educational factors influence the decisions students make. Johns Hopkins University Press.
3. Johnson, D. (2021). The economic value of a college degree continues to grow. Economic Policy Institute.
4. Kirschner, P. A. (2018). Why college is important, and preparing for it in high school. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2018/02/college-importance
5. Lundberg, C. A. (2019). College education and income. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41(1), 100-109.
6. Lumina Foundation. (2021). College and its benefits: Improving individuals' lives and society.
7. National Bureau of Economic Research. (2022). The value of a college degree.
8. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research (Vol. 2). Jossey-Bass.
9. Porter, S. R. (2014). Theoretical models of student retention revisited: Review and development of predictor typologies. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(5), 935-952.
10. Snyder, T. D., de Brey, C., & Dillow, S. A. (2019). Digest of education statistics 2018. National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/