The Importance of education - Essay Example

The Importance of Education The single most important realization I have had in my life is learning the importance of education. After dropping out from high school and later earning my Associate's Degree in Business, I learned, through experience, why education is so important. As this essay will illustrate, education is a valuable tool that benefits not only the individual learning in an educational institution, but also the society that he is part of. Education is a valuable tool that imparts numerous important lessons and life experiences to an individual.

First, it gives individuals knowledge that he will utilize when he enters the job market. Earning a degree gives graduates, who are most likely unknowns or entry-level individuals, credentials that they are competent and knowledgeable in the field that they are entering. It gives them something concrete to show would-be employers that they are capable of getting a job done and it eliminates a certain level of uncertainty that exist when hiring new employees. Education is therefore an important tool jobseekers need when entering a field.

Second, aside from giving individuals credentials to prove their knowledge and capabilities, education also plays an important socializing role that molds an individual's character. By engaging in activities, classes, and other requirements that must be fulfilled while staying in a college or university, students partake in a microcosm of the real world where every person has roles to fulfill, deadlines to meet, and peers and superiors to deal with. It allows them to participate in an environment that is similar to the "real world" while learning important life lessons.

In addition, it also molds an individual's character by instilling in him discipline and work ethics. Studying and completing assignments and projects teach individuals more than just concepts and theories about a subject matter. More importantly, these projects and assignments teach them the importance of discipline in terms of meeting deadlines, time management, and prioritization. Furthermore, education also gives students an avenue to better know themselves - their strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

The grades and other assessment procedures applied to students, if properly administered, will provide students with an objective assessment about themselves. This assessment is important because it conveys to them aspects where they are lacking. This allows the student an opportunity to better improve themselves. Last, by educating the student, helping him develop his character both as an individual and as a professional, and preparing him for the real world, education also provides society with competent and responsible citizens who could help steer society towards progress and development.

A country is only as good as its citizens. Through education and the knowledge and values that it imparts, a society is empowered and made better. Education is the single most important achievement a person can have in his life. Its value is more than just the title or degree that it affixes to the individual who graduates from a university or college because aside from this, it also provides graduates with the unique experiences that will more than equip him or her with the tools that he needs to wade through this journey called life.

Moreover, education is also an asset that benefits not only the individual who acquires it, but more importantly, the society that he is part of. While individuals without an education can still make it in life and create for themselves a comfortable lifestyle, those with a good education are still better off because they gain more than just knowledge or expertise, but more importantly, life experiences that are priceless.