“Why college education is important to me”

In the current times, embedded with globalization, having a college education is essential to having a successful and fulfilling life. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”. Achieving a college education will allow me to be more marketable and increase my current standard of living for myself and my family. Through education I will be able to change my life and only accept what’s best for me and my family when making career decisions. Having some mentors in my life has taught me about living life to the fullest - about love, laughter, working hard through self-motivation and having the drive to be successful. A college education is important to having a self-sustainable and fulfilling life. “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” ― Malcolm X. Earning a college education is a clear-cut investment in a long-term sustainable future. At present, college education is a minimum requirement for securing a job in various companies and industries. It provides an overall competitive edge in the workplace. John G. Ramsay, a professor at the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching, said that the credentials you gain with a college education "are about setting yourself apart, being employable and becoming a legitimate candidate for a job with a future. They are about climbing out of the dead-end job market, and achieving one of life's most difficult developmental tasks: independence from one's parents. Strong credentials trigger that magical set of middle class 'firsts.' “(http://www.quintcareers.com/college_education_value.html) A degree from a four-year college is worth the time, trouble and cost, research suggests. A Pew Research Center study published in February 2014 showed a huge economic gap

between people age 25 to 32 who had a bachelor's degree and those with a two-year degree or a high-school diploma. The unemployment rate for bachelor's degree holders was 3.8 percent, compared to 8.1 percent for two-year degree holders and 12.2 percent for those with only a diploma. Annual earnings also were higher for college graduates, with bachelor's degree holders earning more than US$45,000 on average, while two-year degree holders and high school graduates earned US$30,000 and US$28,000, respectively

(http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college/). Turning to attitudes toward work, employed Millennial college graduates are more likely than their peers with a high school diploma or less education to say their job is a career or a steppingstone to a career (86% vs. 57%). In contrast, Millennials with a high school diploma or less are about three times as likely as college graduates to say their work is “just a job to get [them] by” (42% vs. 14%).

A college education will benefit me throughout my life, both personally and socially. Education opens many windows for us. To develop a lifestyle of learning is critical to personal intelligence and networking opportunities increase in any forum. Education forces a sense of responsibility, morals and ethics which serve as guidelines in our everyday lives. It influences our decisions and helps us to be more independent in our thought processes and rationalizations in any scenarios. Studies show that, compared to high-school graduates, college graduates have:
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longer life spans better access to health care

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better dietary and health practices greater economic stability and security more prestigious employment and greater job satisfaction less dependency on government assistance greater use of seat belts more continuing education greater Internet access greater attendance at live performances greater participation in leisure and artistic activities more book purchases higher voting rates greater knowledge of government greater community service and leadership more volunteer work more self-confidence And less criminal activity and incarceration.

(http://www.quintcareers.com/college_education_value.html) With a college education, a person becomes more intellectual as compared to having just a high school diploma. If a person becomes more intelligent, this will influence a better quality life than before. Therefore, with a college education, an individual can acquire various requirements that would have been hard to get if they lacked a basic college education. A college education helps people to solve problems in an agreeable and tranquil way, through

rationalization of scenarios. They figure out how to avoid disagreements with people. As a result, they are highly likely to lead a life of fewer confrontations. A college education will be a legacy for my children. Children of college-educated parents are healthier, perform better academically, and are more likely to attend college themselves than children of those with lower educational levels. My education will build a foundation for my children as education is the cornerstone of general public progress. I will lead a life of example to set the precedence that education is the key to success and the stepping stone to a life of fulfillment. In conclusion, college education has many benefits. The benefits of a college education certainly outweigh any immediate costs. It helps individuals to appreciate quality life, and to look forward to a highly optimistic future. It is necessary to have a college education in order for individuals to be satisfied with their lives, and have better jobs and have worthy investments in the future.

Works Cited Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends. The Rising Cost of Not Going to College. Washington: Pew Research Center, 2014.

Hansen, Katharine Ph.D. “What Good is a College Education Anyway? The Value of a College Education.” (2012): Pages 1-2. December 24, 2014 .