Difference between revisions of "Know the Importance of Education"

#Decide on your career goals. If you've thought about your future at all, you probably have some idea of what you want to do as a career. No matter what your goal is, it will probably require some degree of education.<ref name="rf1">http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/pupils-and-parents/pupils/why-do-i-need-to-attend-school.htm</ref>

#* In the United States, only 27 percent of jobs available nationwide require less than a high school degree. By contrast, students who have graduated from high school are deemed qualified for 39 percent of jobs available nationwide.<ref name="rf2">http://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/article/education-level-and-jobs.htm</ref>  

#* Many people drop out of school thinking that they would rather work than be in school, but statistics show that the majority of high school dropouts are unemployed and have little or no source of income.<ref name="rf3">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/education/09dropout.html?_r=1</ref>

#Get a better job. Even if the career you've chosen doesn't require an advanced education to break into the field, you will most likely need an education if you want to get promoted or earn a higher-paying job.<ref name="rf4">http://www.dhs.state.il.us/Page.aspx?item=32311</ref>

#* People who have completed an advanced education typically make more money than people who have not gone to school.<ref name="rf4" /> For example, in the United States, median weekly earnings in 2014 for people with only a high school diploma were $751 (men) and $558 (women).<ref name="rf5">http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/median-weekly-earnings-by-education-gender-race-and-ethnicity-in-2014.htm</ref> In contrast, the median weekly earnings for people with least a bachelor's degree were $1385 (men) and $1049 (women) in 2014. For people with an advanced degree, the median weekly wage was even higher: $1630 (men) and $1185 (women).<ref name="rf5" />

#* Having a high school diploma dramatically increase the chances of earning a job over high school dropouts. That number continues to rise as students pursue higher education through college and graduate school.<ref name="rf2" />

#Find better opportunities. Getting an education opens a lot of professional doors for you. It can help you learn new skills, make professional connections, and generally have greater success.<ref name="rf4" />

#* People who have completed an advanced education often have more and better opportunities available to them because of their education.<ref name="rf4" />

#*Even if you have not completed a high school diploma, completing vocational training (education emphasizing a particular trade, such as electrician) will likely increase your income level and ability to find a job.<ref name="rf6">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0001879180900469</ref> If you have a high school education ''and'' vocational training, you are a much more attractive candidate for jobs.

#Overcome income inequality. Studies have shown that having an education - even a primary education - can help low-income workers earn more money and find a better economic situation.<ref name="rf7">http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/what-education-can-and-cant-do-for-economic-inequality/389754/</ref>

#* Employers look for educational achievements. Even having a high school degree will reduce the risk of unemployment and increase the average lifetime earnings of most working adults.<ref name="rf8">http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/CollegePowerBulletin.pdf</ref>

#* In the United States, 54 percent of high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 are unemployed. For high school graduates, that number decreases to 32 percent of people in the same age bracket, and it decreases even further to 13 percent of college graduates.<ref name="rf3" />

#Live a better life. Beyond the professional opportunities that an education affords people, having an education may also be correlated with living a better life in general. Some studies suggest that people who stay in school are less likely to end up having legal troubles later in life.<ref name="rf9">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/education/09dropout.html?_r=0</ref>

#* College graduates with a bachelor's degree earn an average of $1.64 million dollars more than high school dropouts over the course of a lifetime. High school graduates earn an average of $429,280 more than high school dropouts over the course of a lifetime.<ref name="rf8" />

#* Having an education (and subsequently getting a better job) may make people less likely to commit crimes for fear of losing what they've worked for.<ref name="rf10">http://eml.berkeley.edu/~moretti/lm46.pdf</ref>

#* The average high school dropout in America has a one in 10 chance of being arrested, whereas the average high school graduate only has a one in 35 chance of being arrested.<ref name="rf3" />

#* Some studies suggest having an education can also make people more patient, and therefore less likely to be overcome by anger or violent tendencies.<ref name="rf10" />

#Help your family. Having an education is typically associated with an increased ability to provide for your family. That means not only being able to help financially support your family, but also providing younger relatives with a positive role model, and inspiring them to pursue an education.<ref name="rf8" />

#Live a longer life. Some studies suggest that having a higher education can help you live a longer life.<ref name="rf11">http://www.usc.edu/dept/chepa/HRYANG/resources/7.pdf</ref> This may be because of better working conditions that come with an education, or it could be because earning an education helped remove people from adverse domestic situations. Whatever the cause, many studies show that even earning a high school education significantly decreases the likelihood of dying young.<ref name="rf12">http://www.prb.org/Publications/Reports/2013/us-educational-attainment-mortality.aspx</ref>

#* Young men who graduate high school statistically live an average of seven years longer than male high school dropouts. Young women who graduate high school live an average of six years longer than female high school dropouts.<ref name="rf12" />

#* Young men who graduate college statistically live an average of 13 years longer than male high school dropouts, and an average of six years longer than male high school graduates who do not go to college. Young women who graduate college live an average of 12 years longer than female high school dropouts, and an average of six years longer than female high school graduates who do not go to college.<ref name="rf12" />

#Be happier in life. In addition to living a longer life, people who pursue an education tend to be happier in life.<ref name="rf13">http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/04/10/why-learning-leads-to-happiness</ref> That's because having an education has been shown to make people better problem solvers who are better equipped to manage day-to-day problems.<ref name="rf11" />

#* Some studies suggest that simply earning an education, regardless of subsequent income or job contentment, helps people have better mental health later in life.<ref name="rf13" />

#Find more fulfillment in life. Some studies suggest that people who have completed an education are more likely to pursue things that offer personal fulfillment.<ref name="rf13" />

#* Flow, a term used to describe meaningful and satisfying absorption in a task, is often associated with educational advancement.<ref name="rf14">http://www.niu.edu/eteams/pdf_s/CHALLENGE_FlowEducation.pdf</ref> In other words, having an education may help you find hobbies or passions that give you a sense of fulfillment.

#* Many schools encourage flow, whether intentionally or not, by offering a stimulating learning environment and meaningful extracurricular activities to students who might not otherwise have those opportunities.<ref name="rf15">http://www.edutopia.org/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-motivating-people-learn</ref>