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Reasons you should complete your college degree now

By Catherine Mueller

August 11, 2022

Completing a college degree has always been a big life accomplishment, and rightfully so.

It is the result of years of work, preparing for college and then attending classes, studying for hours, and taking exams to test proficiency.

While the accomplishment of a college degree has always been a challenge, it became increasingly difficult during the past few years for some students. The reasons are many – the pandemic and online classes, student or family illness, job loss and financial constraints – just to mention a few of the stresses faced by college students in recent years.

For those students who started college but had to withdraw, it may seem overwhelming to start back again. However, there are many reasons why they can and why they should go back to finish their education:

• The value of education. The return on investment continues to remain high. Granted some educational programs bring a better return than others (so it’s important to do some research on your program of study and expected salary), but overall people with a college degree earn nearly $1 million more over their lifetime than those without a college degree.
• Potential career opportunities. While some employers don’t require any education beyond high school, the jobs with the most potential for upward mobility are those that require a degree and/or some education beyond high school. And in a competitive job market, a college degree may be a way for an employer to weed out some candidates.
• Resources are available. The college or school wants you to finish your education and they have advisors and other support personnel to help. Depending on how long you’ve been out of school, you may need to re-apply, but, again, there are people available to help. Just contact the school or college.
• Your skills and education are important. If you’ve already attended a school or college, you’ve accomplished a lot. You worked to get into the program of study and no doubt have already earned some credits to completing your degree. Don’t let all that work go to waste. By completing the degree, you can let the world know what you can contribute.

The important thing to remember about going to back to school or college is you are not starting over. You are picking up where you left off and you aren’t letting the challenges of life get in the way of your accomplishments.