What Do You Go To College For

College Might Not Actually Make You Smarter

The last con of attending college is that going to one might not actually increase your intelligence.

A 2011 study found that 45% of 2,322 traditional-aged college students studied from 2005 to 2009 made no significant improvement in their critical thinking, reasoning, or writing skills during the first two years of college. After four years, 36% showed no significant gains.

More recent studies have shown similar trends among those with either some college or a degree. Given the cost of attending college, you’d hope that higher education would have a dramatically positive effect on these skills for all studentsbut this might not actually be the case.

How Will You Reach Higher This Year

College is about defying expectations, breaking the mold, and finding yourself. In short, itâs the most valuable investment you can make for your future â both financially and personally.

Your journey is just beginning, and you’ll have support from us all along the way. Let’s see how far you can go.

Are You Ready To Discover Your College Program

Everything you need to know about how to apply to college.

The college application process is pretty standard at most schools. Typically, you take the required tests, write a personal statement, then submit your application. You should keep an eye on your email, in case a school requests additional information as they evaluate your materials.

Below, we’ll cover the process of applying to college in more depth. We’ll help you check all the right boxes and maximize your chances of getting into your dream school.

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Benefits Of Going To College

When considering your career, you will likely;face one of the most important decisions of your life: deciding whether to go to college. Often considered the next step after high school, college prepares you socially and intellectually to begin your career and adult life.

In this article, well discuss some benefits of earning a college degree.

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When Should You Go To College

The best timing for attending college is different for every person, since its such a large investment of time and money. While these investments can certainly be worth it, everyones journey looks different. Consider these factors when thinking about going to college:

• Is it something you want to do? Do you feel obligated to attend college, or is this a decision you have made for yourself? The time and money it takes to attend college are not worth it if you arent committed to your studies. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on high school students to attend college as soon as they graduate, but think about taking a gap year or two if you dont feel ready to commit to college.
• Do you have a financial plan in place? College tuition can be intimidating, but it doesnt have to stop you from achieving your educational goals. There are ways to ease the financial burden of college, and having a plan for your finances makes a great first step.
• Do you have the time to start college? Whether youre aiming for a degree that takes two years or one that takes 12, college is a major time investment. Before you apply, make sure that you have the time to take the courses youd like, whether youre attending full time or part time. Many colleges offer night, morning and weekend classes to accommodate busy schedules. A perk of higher education is that you can choose when you take your classes.

Should You Go To College 4 Pros And 3 Cons

College Admissions , College Info

The decision to attend college is a big one. Getting a college degree takes time: at least four years for most people. Getting a college degree also costs money: tens of thousands of dollars for most people. You might be asking yourself, “Is it worth it? Should I go to college?”

In this article, I’ll explain the benefits of going to college and detail some of the potential drawbacks. Furthermore, I’ll give you all the information you need to decide whether or not you should pursue a college degree.

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Update: Should You Postpone College Due To Covid

Although the coronavirus pandemic is slowly winding down in some places, it is still affecting many aspects of college life, and may lead you to reconsider your choice to attend college. One potential option is to take a gap year and postpone college for a year. For all the pros and cons of taking a gap year during the pandemic, check out our guide on whether you should defer college due to the coronavirus.

The coronavirus has also had an impact on admissions requirements for the 2021-2022 academic year. SAT and ACT test dates have been cancelled or postponed into 2021, and as a result, some schools have chosen to continue making these tests optional. However, if you dont submit test scores, it could impact whether or not you qualify for certain scholarships.

The cancellation of extracurricular activities and service hours as a result of the pandemic could also hurt scholarship chances since these are a prerequisite for many awards. On the upside, some universities have chosen to emphasize ethical character rather than achievement in extracurriculars. That means that if you spent the pandemic helping your family through work or by taking care of younger family members, these experiences can be valuable parts of your college application instead of the more traditional extracurricular activities.

My Academic Background And High School Interests

For high school, I attended a good public school in the New York suburbs. Most of the students from my school, then and now, go on to attend 4-year colleges immediately after high school.

Because I went to a high school where most students went to college and because my parents had both gone to college and expected their children to as well, I was encouraged to start thinking about where I’d want to attend college during eleventh grade.

Growing up where I did also meant I was familiar with at least the names of a lot of Northeastern U.S. colleges , but I did not really have a sense of what schools were strong in which areas.

As a high school junior, I would likely have described myself as being extremely interested in the following college majors: creative writing, Chinese, music, neuroscience , math, or something else I hadn’t studied yet but might discover a passion for in college.

For me, a perennially curious student, the question was less “what should I go to college for” than “what should I base what colleges I apply to on.” Figuring out the answer to the question “what should I go to school for?” was particularly difficult for me since none of my interests seemed to mesh together well, at least not on a surface level.

Case in point for me: going into junior year, I wasn’t super into U.S. History , but since we had to take it in 11th grade either way, I knew that it would be better if I took AP U.S. History than regular U.S. History.

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Benefits Of Earning A College Degree

Earning a college degree is such an important step in life that it has become a central part of the “American Dream”. Go to college, get a job, buy a house, raise a family. It may not always be that simple, but it all starts with your college education.

Earning a college degree is all about opening up opportunities in life. It prepares you, both intellectually and socially, for your career and your adult life. The benefits of a college education include career opportunities like better paying and higher skilled jobs, but studies have shown that it also leads to overall happiness and stability.

Many people know that they want to attend college, but don’t know exactly why, or how it will enrich their lives. Below are some of the many benefits of earning a college degree.

You Might Not Need College If You’re Already Successful

If you’re one of those rare people who has already achieved tremendous professional success before attending college, then going to college might not benefit you much financially.

For instance, say you get drafted in the first round of the draft by Major League Baseball and are offered a multi-million dollar signing bonus. Nobody would fault you for bypassing college. After all, you can always take college classes in the off-season or get your degree when you’re done with your playing career.

If you’re a mini Mark Zuckerberg or starring in your own sitcom, going to college might not lead to a higher income or a better job after you graduate. Bill Gates and Miley Cyrus were able to do OK professionally without college degrees!

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Defining The Term Proactive In

The word proactive often floats around the workplace, usually by well-meaning managers asking employees or their team to, Be more proactive! But have you ever stopped to think about what that actually means?

The dictionary definition of proactive is, acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.

Being proactive is about dealing with any obstacles or challenges before they even happen. Simply put, a proactive person plans ahead.

For example, youre buying an older home. The seller tells you that it has a sturdy foundation and an engineer confirms it. Most people would be satisfied with this answer.

A proactive person, however, would think beyond whats presented and look into any potential issues. They may ask questions like, How long is the lifespan of the foundation?, Is it earthquake ready?, or Does insurance cover the foundation?

Depending on the answers, proactive people would respond accordingly and put safeguards in place to avoid these problems or minimise its impact. While it seems like a lot of resources and effort are spent at the beginning, it can actually lessen your stress and save you time and effort because youre either preventing a problem or already have a solution at hand when the challenge arises.

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Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy.

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The Alternative: Take A Gap Year

For many students, a gap year is about crystallising their decision-making; developing self-directed and self-regulation skills, broadening their competencies and self-organisation and perhaps their confidence.

Andrew J. Martin, published in the Journal of Higher Education

If youre not sure what you want to do or what you want to study, it might be good to take a gap year. It never hurts to wait a little. You can use your time to do all kinds of exciting things like:

• Travel to another country.
• Work a few interesting jobs.
• Take up a new hobby.
• Start your own business.

You dont need a college degree to be an extra in a short film, start a YouTube channel, or do seasonal work at a local farm. These are experiences you wont regret. They might even help you figure out what you like to do so you can be more informed about your future major.

Data taken from students who took a gap year found the following encouraging information:

• 90% of students returned to college after their break.
• 96% said that the experiences they had during their gap year increased their self-confidence and maturity.
• 84% said that they gained skills that would be useful in their future career.
• 77% said that their gap year influenced their career decision in a major way.

Another study revealed that students who took a gap year are more successful than mature students who went back to school, or their peers who went into university straight from high school.

You’ll Have More Options With A College Degree

You might be planning to enter a trade that doesn’t require a college degree and will provide you with a good salary and benefits. However, if you end up deciding that you don’t like that field after a few years and you don’t have a college degree, your employment options will be limited.

Also, if you take up a trade that requires physical labor and you suffer an injury, you might struggle to find work without a college degree.

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Benefits For You And Your Family

Obviously, higher income is a primary benefit of earning your college degree. But most jobs that require a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral or professional degree tend to also provide more benefits. This can include health care, retirement investment, travel and other perks. These types of benefits are rarely offered for high-school-level jobs.

Part of the reason employment benefits are so important is because they offer stability for your family, especially in the case of health care. They are called benefits, but in reality, they are a vital part of anyone’s salary. In some cases, the value of benefits even exceeds an employee’s take-home pay.

The benefits of a college education also extend beyond generations. Families of college graduates are generally better off economically and socially. But it is also more likely that the next generation of children will attend college. So you can look at it as an investment in the future of your family.

Quiz: Which Career Field Should You Go Into

• Which of these do you always take on vacations?
• A.&nbsp

• Sample QuestionThere is a little boy in the store that you find that is lost and crying. He is three years old. What would you do?Let someone else take care of him. After all, there are tons of people around.Pick him up and carry him to the front, where they would call his parents over the speaker.Ask him where his parents are and try to find them.Panic and try to find someone to help you with him.Tell the nearest store worker to take care of him.

• Sample QuestionNo, I can’t stand children!Well, it depends. But I surely don’t hate children.

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How And When To Apply For College

The 5 Best Reasons To Go To College

Is college truly all about ROI ? Do we encourage kids to apply to college solely based on the fact that they will give us a good return on our investment a job that pays well after college?

Should you go into massive debt for a liberal arts degree that leaves you unemployable? Absolutely not. But can you get a liberal arts degree and in the process discover your passion? Absolutely.

If you ask both of my children if they considered college ROI, they would have different answers.

My daughter would say that college was so much more than getting her degree and finding a job. It gave her life experiences, lifelong friends, business experience through internships, and a study-abroad experience that was invaluable. At college that she gained independence, learned about budgeting, developed a strong work ethic, got an education and, basically, grew up. She would say that you cant put a dollar amount on those four years.

My son, on the other hand, had a very different experience. After four years of service in the Marines, he decided to go to college. For him, it was more about pushing himself to attain the degree and proving to himself that he was capable of that level of education since he was just an average student in high school. He did incur some debt but he would never say it was a waste of time and money or a poor return on investment even though hes not working in a career related to his liberal arts major.

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