Why GO To College Anyway?

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers provides 5 reasons:
1. It will likely make you more prosperous.
2. It will give you a better quality of life.
3. It will give you the power to change the world.
4. It will be something you can pass on to your children.
5. It makes you a major contributor to the greatest nation on earth.

The U.S. Census Bureau tells us that in 1999, average income for a male age 25 or over who holds a bachelor's degree was about $61,000, compared to about $32,000 for a male with a high-school diploma -- so the college graduate's income was about $29,000 more annually than the high-school grad's. John G. Ramsay, a professor at the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching, said that the credentials you gain with a college education "are about setting yourself apart, being employable, becoming a legitimate candidate for a job with a future.

Studies show that, compared to high-school graduates, college graduates have:
* longer life spans
* better access to health care
* better dietary and health practices
* greater economic stability and security
* more prestigious employment and greater job satisfaction
* less dependency on government assistance
* greater use of seat belts
* more continuing education
* greater Internet access
* greater attendance at live performances
* greater participation in leisure and artistic activities
* more book purchases
* higher voting rates
* greater knowledge of government
* greater community service and leadership
* more volunteer work
* more self-confidence
* and less criminal activity and incarceration.

Knowledge is power. If you doubt this, consider consider the societies that have denied education to selected segments of the population. The Taliban in Afghanistan keeps women from having any power by outlawing their education, much as antebellum American society kept slaves from possessing power by denying them schooling. Institutions of higher learning continue to be among the best venues for cultivating social change.

A college education is a legacy for your children. Your education builds a foundation for your children - for our nation's children, and for the children of our global community.

Education is the essence of the democratic ideals that elevated the United States from a backward land of rebellious colonists to the greatest, most spirited, powerful and successful nation in the world.

As we review these 5 areas listing the value of a college education, we must consider the topic of this blog - Why GO to college anyway. Is is a necessity that one must leave their home to pursue this goal? The interaction with other students is physical by nature, but can you reach the same interaction with online courses? The advancement of technology has allowed this interaction to be as close as the keyboard, mouse and video camera. A student can have interaction not only with the classmate of a particular course in one location, but can interact with classmates world wide, via email, chat sessions, video calls and a number of other methods.

We have all heard the saying that one "Goes Off to College." But with today's technology and the standards of program accreditation, the student only has to GO as far as their computer. This can be a great advantage for:
1. A disabled student
2. A distance learning student
3. A full time employee
4. A soldier serving in one of the armed forces
5. A continuing education student
6. An adult learner
7. One who wants continue to gain knowledge
and the list goes on...

So the choice is there, with online programs available the student has the ability to decide how far or near they want to go to pursue a college education.

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

Hansen, Katharine, What Good is a College Education Anyway? The Value of a College Education, Quintessential Careers, copyright by Quintessential Careers. The original article can be found at http://www.quintcareers.com/college_education_value

Lohr,Steve, Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom, NY Times.com, http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom