Why College
Six Reasons to Finish College
1. Career advancement
Those who haven’t finished a degree are viewed as having the credential of a high school diploma. Many of these workers hit a glass ceiling they are unable to rise above without that completed degree on their resumes. They may like what they’re doing and love the company they work for, but they realize that to stay and move up, they’re going to have to pick up a little more education. Luckily, many companies are willing to help employees defray the cost of that degree in order to keep them.
2. Graduate school
A large segment of adult learners have had successful careers but want to finish their bachelor’s degree in order to move on to graduate school. Of course, they see the education as valuable in and of itself; however, a master’s is needed to access the next level of their career.
3. Change of career
Many adults who want to go back to school realize they made one of the most important decisions in their lives at about age 18 — and things have changed. Their interests have changed. They’ve developed new skills and they want to fine-tune. They may find that they made a career choice because it was easy or accessible or expected, but it’s not their passion and they’re feeling stuck. Many adult students return to college to allow them to move in a more fulfilling direction.
4. To set an example
You wouldn’t think that a successful entrepreneur and owner of several businesses would consider returning to college for his bachelor’s degree, but you’d be wrong. Setting the example of a college education to their children is a common reason for retuning to finish a degree. In their most honest moments, many students have this particular reason in their back pocket — and usually find an instant support system inside their homes when they enroll.
5. To fulfill a promise to themselves
Many students start but never finish their bachelor’s degree. Life happens, money gets tight or a direction is unclear. Studies show traditional college students change their major an average of eight times, which says that often we don’t always know, at the right moment, what we want to be when we grow up. Rather than giving up on themselves, these students invest in themselves and an exhilarating sense of personal accomplishment as they walk across that stage at graduation.
6. Financial
Statistics show that average salaries increase by $10,000 for each year of post High School education. Over a lifetime that is an astronomical number that provides many options and benefits to you and your future family.
With these reasons in mind – and an estimated 37 million students who started (but did not finish) a degree – colleges and universities need to be easily accessible and ready to assist students who are now finding their “reason” and to meet them were they are in order to assist them through to graduation.