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Around the world, universities are helping to transform people’s lives and careers.
By gaining a higher education, millions of individuals are handing themselves an advantage that others simply don’t have. In today’s competitive career markets, this is something you can’t put a price on.
However, there’s still some debate surrounding the benefits of higher education. Quite simply, the argument put forward is that the time and effort required to get a higher education isn’t worth it in the end. In place of this, people opt to get apprenticeships or immediately join a company instead.
Luckily, this guide is going to explain the main benefits of higher education, from the basics to the interesting details!
If you’re someone who’s stuck and doesn’t know whether to enter the world of higher education, you should hopefully have peace of mind after reading the following sections.
Let’s begin.
Benefit 1: Prepare Yourself for Different Industries
In life, most people dream about getting their foot in the door of their desired industry, whether it’s healthcare or technology. Luckily, a higher education is the best strategy for achieving this.
Currently, thousands of universities around the world are offering industry-specific degrees that, upon completion, enable people to start their dream careers.
For example, you can complete a masters in mental health counseling. After successfully doing this, you will then be able to enter the mental health industry, which means there’s opportunity to work across:
- Hospitals
- Health Care Centers
- Colleges
- Private Practice
- Non-Profits
Without a master’s degree, this would be significantly harder to do due to the fact you don’t have the relevant qualification. By pursuing a master’s degree, you invest in your personal and professional growth, positioning yourself for more significant opportunities in the industry of your choice. With relevant qualifications, practical experiences, and a solid foundation of knowledge, you gain access to valuable resources that actively support your learning and preparation. These resources may include sample USMLE questions or other industry-specific tools that enable you to deepen your understanding, sharpen your problem-solving skills, and better navigate the demands of your field.
With the right qualifications, hands-on experiences, and a solid knowledge base, you have the necessary tools and abilities to succeed in your chosen field and make a positive difference. Higher education opens up new opportunities and empowers you to thrive in the industry you’re passionate about, such as mental health support.
Benefit 2: Earn More Money
When it comes to their careers, people naturally want to earn as much money as they possibly can.
Fortunately, by securing a higher education, it becomes much easier to do this.
Here are two interesting facts from the BBC that might catch your eye:
- Women with a degree earn on average 28% more than non-graduate women
- Men with degrees earn an average of 8% more than non-graduates
On top of this, adults with a bachelor’s’ degree earn an average of $2.8 million throughout their careers – which is 75% more than if they only had a high school education.
Clearly, there’s a trend that can’t go unnoticed: higher education is a very profitable venture to follow.
If you’re someone who is motivated by money, this is something important that you need to bear in mind.
As mentioned above, mental health counseling is an excellent subject to study. In addition to this, other profitable degree subjects include:
- Business
- Computer Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nursing
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
Of course, it’s down to the individual which subject they decide to study. However, the topics mentioned above are considered to be some of the best available in the modern age.
Benefit 3: Develop Your Skills
Moving forward, getting a degree is an excellent way to develop your skills and ultimately prepare for workplace expectations.
Of course, each educational institute – from universities to colleges – have different approaches. However, the end goal is usually to develop an individual’s knowledge while also equipping them with the right skills for their desired career.
For example, if you were to study digital marketing, you would learn a variety of skills, from how to run marketing campaigns to managing social media business accounts.
At the end of all this, you can then approach companies with the skills that they expect you to have.
This benefits both parties: you get the job you want, and the companies don’t have to invest as much time into training!
Benefit 4: Networking
Networking is a big part of today’s world. Here’s why:
- It creates new career opportunities
- You can boost your profile
- Gaining access to career advice and resources becomes easier
Generally, getting a higher education is one of the best ways to gain access to networking opportunities.
Throughout the duration of your study, you’ll be able to attend campus networking events (where business professionals come to visit), as well as get to know lecturers and guest speakers.
Many people graduate with a career position already in place – and this is usually a result of networking.
Benefit 5: Meet New People (and Potentially Friends for Life)
Pursuing higher education isn’t studying all the time – it’s also an opportunity to meet a lot of new people. In some cases, you’ll meet friends for life!
At college and university, it’s very easy to meet people in class, at lectures, and also around campus. For example, it’s common for people to make new friends in the library, where people go to hang out and boost their learning abilities.
So, if you’re a sociable person who is looking to meet like-minded people and make new friendships, you can rest assured that a higher education will provide you with the opportunity to do exactly this.
Benefit 6: Travel the World
An underrated aspect of higher education is that it sometimes offers students the opportunity to travel the world.
In fact, it’s now becoming more common for universities to offer courses that involve studying or doing work placements abroad.
Plus, this opportunity isn’t just limited to one field of study. From business to sports science, there are plenty of degree topics that can come with opportunities to complete semesters abroad.
If this is something you have always dreamt about doing, it’s recommended that you search for a bachelor’s or master’s degree that includes the option to study in another country.
Benefit 7: Develop Your Confidence and Critical Thinking
Prior to starting your desired job, it’s a great idea to build up your confidence and critical thinking skills at university.
The combination of exams, coursework and general study all contribute to greater confidence. This is because you learn how to deal with pressure as well as ups and downs.
The same applies to critical thinking. While studying, your critical thinking will develop significantly, which sets you up nicely for a successful career.
Benefit 8: Gain Independency
Throughout the course of higher education, people learn how to cope independently – which is great.
This is especially true when they move out from their family homes to live on campus or with friends in shared accommodation.
If you were to do the same, you’d develop your independence skills and take them to a new level. From learning how to care for yourself to juggling exams and other work, it’s a brilliant learning journey to put yourself through.
At the end of it all, you’ll be a much more self-sufficient person who is ready for the demands of everyday life.
Benefit 9: You Can Start at Any Age
For decades, there was a stigma surrounding higher education that it was only meant for younger generations, i.e., people in their late teens and early 20s.
However, this perception simply isn’t true – especially in 2022.
Now, it’s possible for anyone of any age to get a higher education – even without prior qualifications.
This is largely thanks to open universities, which are known for accepting older candidates who have no previous qualifications and lead busy lives.
Open universities allow people of all ages to find the perfect study-work balance. For example, if you’re a working mother, you would be able to find an open university that enables you to study remotely from home in your own time (while still gaining access to all the resources you need).
So, no matter what age you are, it’s important to recognize that it’s never too late to start higher education, whether you want to try something new or simply want a fresh career change!
Benefit 10: Increase Your Marketability
Finally, a higher education will drastically boost your marketability when looking for jobs.
Management and hiring directors pay close attention to people’s CVs and online job profiles. When they see that you have successfully completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree, it highlights that you have the desired knowledge and can also handle responsibility – which are two key factors in the world of work.
Therefore, if you want to boost your own personal brand and outlook, it’s highly recommended that you get a degree. Upon successfully doing this, you’ll be able to market your degree across various different platforms, from job sites to LinkedIn.
Also, if you get a high overall degree score, even better. This is because it helps to separate you from other students that have achieved lower scores than you.
Conclusion
After reading this guide, you know everything you need to surround the benefits of higher education, from developing your career prospects to meeting new people.
Moving into the future, make sure you think carefully about the career path that is most suited to what you want. From there, you can choose a degree that will then prepare you for entry into the industry of your choice.
Remember, you can opt to study locally or broaden your horizons and enroll at a university or college in another city. The choice is yours – have fun!
