You finished a milestone: a college degree, so what’s next?
You may be wondering: Should I continue my education after college? Will the benefits outweigh the costs? Etc.
These questions that plague your mind can be answered through other queries:
Does your career require a higher education?
An advanced education will likely boost the career you are working on. If you work in law or medicine, just as an example, the higher the skill set you gain through education, the more qualified you will be to perform your duties, leading to greater job security, discussed below.
Do you want better job security?
A competitive workforce means that only the cream of the crop will prosper. According to the Census Bureau, people with a master’s degree earn about 15% more than their counterparts with a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, statistics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, titled “Educational Country,” showed that those with higher education fell into lower unemployment categories, along with higher median weekly wages.
Do you want to improve your knowledge and skills?
One of the things that will give you the greatest advantage in life is knowledge. You’ve heard this over and over again: that books open windows on the world, and an education, a better education, is a ticket to your dreams.
Are you passionate about your field of study?
This is the main question you should ask yourself when deciding to study a postgraduate degree. This is because advanced degrees tend to focus on a specific subject area. If you plan to make a lifelong career in nursing, for example, then taking master’s courses in this area is one way to promote yourself to managerial roles. The same goes for other careers like teaching, medicine, physiology, psychology, and many more.
If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions, you may want to pursue a graduate degree or even a postgraduate degree.
Another concern you may have is the stress of working and going to school. If that’s the case, an online university offers the flexibility to study during students’ spare time, while the job offers the benefit of gaining hands-on experience.
The ultimate motivators for further education are higher pay, better job security, more knowledge, and ultimately a better position in life, for the challenges that are sure to come. Professionals know that education is a lifelong experience that never ends.