College Degrees and Why It Is Beneficial in Seeking a Degree Paper

Higher Education is enduring dramatic changes in who its students are and what it prepares them for as the US economy transitions from manufacturing-based to service-based (Christopher, 2019). Beginning the late 20th century, the least qualifications of entry-level jobs have forged ahead from a high school diploma to an associate or bachelor’s degree. Consequently, the focus nowadays is the attainment of college degrees. Despite the significant cost of education to grasp the degree, its benefits are far more important.

In this particular speech, I will persuade my audience who are the working-class people employed using their college diplomas to upgrade to college degrees by exploring the benefits of college degrees. The benefits of obtaining a college degree that will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs include but are not limited to access to job opportunities, financial gains, and healthier lifestyles.

Job Acquisition

Individuals with college diplomas should acquire college degrees because having a college degree means more employment opportunities at their disposal. A vast majority of college graduates are equipped with the skills and necessary expertise to fulfill job requirements and stabilize their jobs. Horowitz (2018) acknowledges that individuals with college degrees are highly experienced and face less competition from their counterparts to enter highly skilled occupations.

Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that 2.2% of workers with bachelor’s degrees are facing unemployment compared to 4.1% of workers with only high school diplomas (Horowitz, 2018). Graduates with college degrees also blend both technical and general skills consequently increasing their employability chances. Therefore, high school diploma holders should upgrade to college degrees to have an upper hand in job hunting.

Financial Gain

High school diploma holders should upgrade to college degrees to boost their income. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that workers with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $468 per week more than their colleagues with high school diplomas (Horowitz, 2018). The ability to earn more money is the driving force behind college attendance. However, earnings also depend on the specific field of the degree holder. For instance, graduates in the medical and engineering field are likely to earn more compared to graduates in the field of arts and education (Horowitz, 2018). This added financial gain and savvy enables college degree graduates to invest, save, become homeowners, and even purchase insurance covers.

Healthy Lifestyles

Finally, individuals with diplomas should upgrade to college degrees to live a healthier lifestyle. This healthy lifestyle is a result of increased income that enables them to purchase quality health services (Lawrence, 2017). Furthermore, college degree students acquire more critical lessons about health that are incorporated in their curriculum that help them reduce unhealthy behaviors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and poor diet.

According to Lawrence (2017), tobacco smoking rates in adults decrease from 20% of high school graduates without any college education to 5% of those with a college degree to 3% of workers with graduate degrees. Additionally, having a college degree increases levels of satisfaction and happiness and reduces stress and anxiety. Diploma holders therefore should obtain college degrees to live a healthier lifestyle with resultant improved life span.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a glut of benefits that comes along with a college degree in addition to the ones that have been discussed. The growing need for skills and experience in the job market has given impetus to college degrees. It is my humble request that all the workers employed under high school diplomas strive to upgrade to college degrees to embrace the changing dynamic economy and enjoy these benefits.

References

  • Christopher, R. (2019). 13. New working-class studies in higher education. In J. Russo & S. L. Linkon (Eds.), New Working-Class Studies (pp. 209–220). Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501718571-015
  • Hollister, J. M., Spears, L. I., Mardis, M. A., Lee, J., McClure, C. R., & Liebman, E. (2017). Employers’ perspectives on new information technology technicians’ employability in North Florida. Education + Training, 59(9), 929–945. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-02-2017-0019
  • Horowitz, J. (2018). Relative education and the advantage of a college degree. American Sociological Review, 83(4), 771–801. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122418785371
  • Lawrence, E. M. (2017). Why do college graduates behave more healthfully than those who are less educated? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 58(3), 291–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146517715671