College is not easy; it takes a lot of work to pass your subjects, and the student loan debt you’ll deal with later can be hard to manage. Still, going to college is worth it. People can say all the negative stuff about it, but not everyone meets luck without a degree.
Besides, it’s not going to college in itself that many people regret. Rather, it’s the degree they chose. A survey found that 40% of college graduates would pick another degree if they could go back, while overall, 28% said they’d choose a different institution.
Hence, if you’re afraid of regretting your choice of school or degree, thoroughly research the reputable colleges you’re considering. If there’s a chance that you might shift majors, it’s important that your chosen school offers the other major you might take. That way, you won’t spend as much time transitioning from your first major to the next.
Going back to the main topic, although college can create some regrets and challenges, it’s still an experience many students wish they can have. So if you’ve been given the amazing opportunity of going to college, don’t take it for granted. Below are the reasons college will make a positive change in your life, despite the hardships you may face:
1. It Teaches You to Multitask Efficiently
College fills you with the workload, which can overwhelm you in the beginning. Even if freshmen students anticipate this academic challenge, the amount of reading and research they actually have to face can still surprise them. And that’s normal; being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re incompetent.
Academic challenges help you learn to multitask efficiently, a skill many adults fall short on. Multitasking isn’t taking on more work than you can handle. Instead, it’s dividing your tasks into manageable goals while still having time for rest and relaxation. There will be times when rest and relaxation will be unattainable, but that period of straight work should end. If you find yourself working non-stop without really finishing anything, that’s not efficient multitasking.
Learning how to multitask efficiently is important to learn while you’re still young, and not yet exposed to the corporate world. It’ll be much more difficult to deal with a heavy workload in a professional setting without experience in multitasking.
2. It Teaches You to be Responsible
When you’re young, it’s easy to blame your failures or mistakes on adults, like your parents, guardians, or teachers. But college teaches you that you are responsible for the actions and decisions you make. You won’t be coddled, and no one will fix your problems for you. Basically, you’re treated like an adult.
Though that sounds intimidating, being responsible for your own actions and decisions will in fact benefit you in adulthood. It’ll serve essential life lessons such as financial management and self-reliance. Even if you can pick up those lessons without going to college, you’d usually learn them the hard way, which can lead some people to mental health issues.
3. It Expands Your Social Circle
High school friends are great, but college friends can have a greater impact on your life. They can be your roommate or the friend group you’ve formed in the classroom. You’ll experience good and bad things together, such as nailing a group research paper or barely passing an exam you sacrificed sleep for. Plus, they’ll be your companions as you transition from a student to an intern or worker. You may not end up in the same company or field, but if there’s anyone out there who will understand the struggle of being a fresh graduate in the corporate world, it’s your college friends.
4. It Teaches Financial Management
One of the most burdensome things in college is student loan debt. You’ll deal with them when you graduate, which can interfere with your savings and expense budget. But being indebted at a young age gives you lots of room to learn proper financial management.
Before taking out a student loan, understand its terms, calculate your potential total debt, and review the grace periods. Familiarizing yourself with loans can help you stay out of bad debt in your adulthood. It’ll also teach you to budget wisely, splurging only on what you can afford, and saving on the things you don’t need.
Financial management is a skill many adults struggle with, so take advantage of the chance to learn it while you’re in college. Dealing with money matters isn’t easy; get used to it while you’re still young and partially dependent on your parents.
Also, note that these amazing things about college don’t erase the fact that it’s difficult and stressful at times. But facing the stress of the real world is ten times harder, and going to college acts as a sort of warm-up for that.
