A College Education Opens the Door to Life - Essay Example

A College Education Opens the Door to Life Many people decide to stop formal education in high school. Perhaps their parents didnt attend college, or they decided instead to just take over the family business and learn everything they needed to know in a hands-on way; on the job training. Maybe they lacked academic self-confidence, feeling that since they werent successful in high school, that there would be no way for them to be successful in college, so why try? Perhaps finances, early parenthood, or social choices also prevented them from attending college; higher education wasnt a family value. Young people often feel pressure to get on with their adult lives; theyve just finished high school and cant imagine spending one more day in school than what was already required. They feel there is no time for more schooling; they must begin to explore life. Their anxiety to overcome the fear of the unknown makes them edgy to take on anything requiring their time and energy the way academics do. When in doubt, go to college; it is the key that opens the door to a life of extreme potential in many areas. An individual learns many things in life; every area of learning must be explored. There are some levels of learning that can only be done academically; especially at the higher level. College opens the door to a lifelong process of learning not only professionally, but also on the personal level. A college student is exposed to many different philosophies on a wide variety of topics; gaining a very broad view of the surrounding world. In essence, they begin a journey that, by its very nature, ensures a civilized approach to life. As children we grow and develop physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and begin to gain experience in controlling our environments and destinies. We never lose the need for learning, as life constantly presents us with many lessons aimed at our growth and development in every area. The reason for formalized education isnt just about academics, it involves so much more. Research indicates that college graduates come out ahead in nearly every area of life. They make better health, financial, social, and longevity choices; taking less unnecessary risks. They have a higher quality of life and experience more personal satisfaction and self-actualization than people who never go beyond high school. College graduates are much more successful in separating from their families of origin in the developmental quest for independence too. They are associated less with crime and incarceration, do more volunteer work, and have more self-confidence in meeting with lifes challenges. In short, they adapt better to the challenges of the world around them. College graduates tend to be lifelong learners, preferring to obtain facts when making decisions. They learn how to do research to find what is needed to make informed decisions. Many of them seek out positions in government where they can use their critical thinking and social networking skills to advocate for the underprivileged; making an impact in their surrounding environment. They stand up against moral corruption, injustice, and support practices for liberty. Knowledge is power. Every civilized nation in the world espouses the education of its people. Where you see abject poverty, it is usually poverty across all levels, not just financial poverty. The most serious poverty anywhere is the poverty of the spirit, where people give up the hope that life can one day get better. Often corrupt governments frustrate the education of their people in order to keep them in ignorance and prevent the overthrow of the regime. Where there is hopelessness, there is also slavery. Many Third World nation governments keep their countries controlled through controlling the educational level and quality. Educated people are powerful people; they are the movers and shakers of society. They operate from a position of self-confidence and stand up for whats right; quickly putting down what is harmful to the society at large, making college graduates a necessity in order to keep a country civilized. College graduates demand integrity in business dealings and accountability for public resources. They are essential for progress as a nation. College graduates read more books, contribute more to the world around them creatively, and actively support progressive action. It is a natural tendency for them to stay updated on world situations as well as their local communities. They raise the standard and rules of engagement for future generations to become more than they thought possible. They tend to be at the forefront on issues of concern globally as well as locally, offering their insight and services to help remedy injustice, breaches of peace, and environmental awareness. College graduates tend to be actively involved in the quest for quality of life for all people. A community benefits in many ways from having a high level of college graduates; it becomes a more desirable and culturally flexible place to live. College graduates do more volunteer work, offering their leadership skills and mentoring abilities to those in need. They have more caring and compassion for the less fortunate, offer more sharing of resources, and a more global approach to life. Crime is less, especially violent and hate crime. There is an environment of tolerance for variance in beliefs and lifestyle. They operate more from the view of one human family as opposed to the survival of the fittest approach. Having a college education is a gift given to future generations. It provides leadership examples for them to follow in taking their place in the grand scheme of things. Parents with college educations are more likely to be progressive and open-minded in raising their children. They tend to recognize future benefits from present sacrifices in the time they spend helping children with homework, projects, test reviews, and being there emotionally available for their children. College educated parents offer more social support and guidance to their children. They are more willing to be not only parents but also mentors to their children and often others. Self-confidence is what they instill in young people encouraging them to try many things and master what they can. They offer assistance in making the transition from adolescence to adulthood by helping young people to see the big picture of life while dealing with the insane minute details that make daily living a bit chaotic at times. They offer leadership skills that help children feel it is possible to make the transition, and to do it with success. We live in a technology age; everything is driven by technology. The only way to stay informed with current information is to update learning and skills continuously. Every profession has a requirement for staying updated and best practices based on the latest research and information surrounding the career. Quality assurance in the workplace mandates ongoing education for responsible practice of ones career. The skills learned at college provide a foundation for this lifelong learning process. As professionals gather together in research and learning situations, new insights are gained which lead to new inventions and problem resolution. The critical thinking and logical reasoning required to do this research was gained during college years, when every class demanded critical and analytical thinking from its students and research, even on a basic level. The rudimentary concepts of learning how to learn are taught in the core subjects at college. This is valuable information and training that can never be replaced by life experiences. It is a springboard from which all new discovery launches. College is a great place to learn social skills. The college student is daily among many different people from all walks of life; usually from different cultures, both ethnic and social, as well. It is a great time to expand ones viewpoint on how the human family is regarding social issues as well as academic ones. The college milieu gives students a chance to learn the fine art of debate at an impromptu level, learning they can agree to disagree in a peaceful manner. They also learn about teamwork and collaboration. A college education gives one the chance to take a good look at the surrounding world. It also gives students the chance to explore possibilities for making a contribution to that world. College life requires one to mature, expand ones horizons in every area, and learn networking skills. It gives students many opportunities to get over themselves and their fears to apply logical reasoning, critical thinking, and analyze many possibilities for a given situation. Flexibility, critical thinking, logical reasoning, communication and analytical skills are greatly enhanced by this process. Many times the contacts made in college translate into job opportunities, business liaisons and support, as well as social connections in varied interests. The networking possibilities are far reaching and necessary for success in the workplace of today. A college education offers exposure to a wide variety of information. It requires one to try on many hats to see what the most comfortable fit is. Many students begin with an interest in one particular field, only to find out that by being exposed to many other fields, they discover a much more intense interest in something different, thereby reshaping their professional futures. By learning a little bit about many things, one is able to experience curiosity about deeper levels and pursue information independently. This also leads to lifelong learning as the quest for information presses one to deepen understanding in the chosen field. Being a college graduate signifies to a potential employer many important qualities. It demonstrates ones ability to persevere and work through adversity. Having a schedule at college and expectations to create parameters for the class, a college graduate is able to demonstrate to a potential employer that they understand the connection between punctuality, compliance, and future success. It also signifies that the potential employee understands that sacrifice is essential to a quality product. College graduates are usually chosen for leadership positions in the workplace. They have an in depth understanding of technology, systems of operations, and personnel management. They are "go to" people the employer can depend on to get the job done, usually with the least amount of disruption in normal activities. Their networking and collaborative abilities make them an asset to any employer. Moreover, they are excellent at crisis management and problem resolution. They understand teamwork, the need for research, and have the collaborative skills to make progress happen. Where there is a lack of anything, they know how to bridge the gap, support progress, and use innovation to resolve issues. Through independent interest in their career fields, they tend to keep abreast of cutting edge information and willingly introduce it in the workplace. As we move towards efforts at global peace and self-actualization as a species, the role college students play becomes increasingly more important. They are the ones who will lead the way to a new day; a new way of relating within the human family. College students will provide the urgency as well as the innovation for healing our planet to ensure the survival of us all. They have already summoned us to awaken and prepare to make drastic changes in the way things are currently being done. They’ve earned the right to lead us; let them do their job! Think of a college education similarly to the process a piece of art undergoes to become something of value. It is the polishing and refinement that takes a medium from its natural state to something that expresses its inherent beauty over time. The artisan takes a medium and begins to imprint his or her style upon it. The object is refined and polished through various methods and exposure to other processes as well. The end product is a fresh representation of the beauty that was inherently always present. With time, that object weathers and takes on its own personality, the colors change as light affects it. So it is with students; we begin in a basic state; an untouched medium. Through exposure to various processes and ideas, we become who we truly are, more obvious and useful to the world around us, as well as to ourselves. With time, our opinions change as we grow and develop along the journey through the circle of life; ever mindful that we are a work in progress, as are all humans. Bibliography Hansen, Katherine, PhD. What Good Is a College Education Anyway? The Value of a College Education. Quintessential Careers. Empoweringsites.com. nd. Web. March 17, 2011. http://www.quintcareers.com/college_education_value.html McGuire, Jeff. The Benefits of Having a College Education: Dont let opportunity pass you by. College View. Hobsons US. nd. Web. March 17, 2011. http://www.collegeview.com/benefits_of_a_college_education.html Sweo, Robert. The Benefits of a College Education. HSBC - North America Military Financial Education Center. UMUC 2007. Web. March 17, 2011. http://militaryfinance.umuc.edu/education/index.html Read More