Cardenas 1 Jesus H.

Cardenas Professor Tannen English 3 16 September 2009 College, more than just a Degree: Some benefits of attending College. I still remember that morning, the nervousness, the tiredness of not being able to sleep that night before and most of all the fear in my eyes. As I walked out the door I think of the people how have encourage me, those how have doubted me and the ones that will accompany me in this journey. College, just like many people I never thought I would be able to attend college there was always something more important or appealing. It would be wrong for me to say that the road was perfect, I struggled trying to find my way in this world of books, writing, and professors but I have always and forever enjoy the experience that college has to offer. College is way more than just attending class, writing papers, and spending money and of course is more that just a degree. Like many of you I was also unaware of the many roles a college can have. I had only seen one side, the school aspect about college, and had neglected the other side of the college life. Today many students still only see college as a means to receive a degree and are unaware of other benefits; but most important they are missing out on the experience of a life time. But what are some other reasons besides the degree that we should know before we make our decision. According to the collegeboard.com some of benefits of going to college are: People that go to college expand there knowledge and abilities They can better understand complicated theories and concepts Often people that go to college earn more money Liver healthier life stiles

Cardenas 2 Start a network of friends that will last for life Are more engaged in the community Know and understand in a better way the role of there county and of other nations.

There many other more reason as to way go to college. Some say that college is an investment on your self a way to give value to your knowledge and skills. So, is college more that just a degree? Well, we will try to answer it in the following lines but most of all I will let you decide for your self. According to the collegeboard.com people that attend college are able to expand there knowledge and abilities. Based on researched college students are better versed than those who did not go to college (Schultz 2007). They can also communicate better not only orally but also written. Culture and class has always been associated with knowledge and with a high level of education (Collegeboard.com). Those who achieve great success in college will ultimately have great success in the real world. They are usually more respectful to new ideas and demonstrate more acceptances to other cultures and persons. Those of us how have the opportunity of going trough college and those who have all ready graduated, will forever have the urge of continuing to learn and grow. Particularly I did not like my science classes during the first years of my college career. Having to deal with professors that would put you to sleep in your chair, complicated formulas, and theories that you will probably never use after taking those classes didnt seem to be the most exciting things. Although I never appreciated those classes, it is tanks to the skills learned in those lectures that I can now understand and evaluate new research and breakthroughs. Also some of the abilities can be transfer to our every day activities and enriched are arsenal of skills. So, when it

Cardenas 3 comes to the benefit of understanding and complicated concepts those that go to college will always have a significant advantage over those that only have a high school diploma. You have probably heard it on the T.V. or on the radio. People that graduate from college make more money over there life time than those who do not. And I am pretty sure that this is one of the main reasons why you have chosen to be in college. Well I dont blame you for attempting to make more money; everyone now days are looking for ways to bring more capital in to there life. We have been told that if we want to earn more, find a much more rewarding career, and live a better life style we must go to school. Like I have mention before school is an investment in your life an investment that can be very fruitful. But, just how much more money can a college graduate make over a non-college employee? The statistics differ in there conclusion over how much is the return on your investment. You have probably heard people like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, stating for the record that a college graduate is expected to at least make one million dollars more than a non-college employee. Based on the information from the 2007 U.S. Census bureaus a full-time worker above the age of 25 will make in a year an average of $32,500 USD for a high school diploma, $42,000 USD for an associates degree, $53,000 for a bachelors degree, $63,000 for a masters degree and $100,000+ for a professional degree graduate (Gardner,Jeweler,Barefoot, 2007). Since college students are much better inform about the proper functioning of the human body, and since they have a much easier access to resources and information. It is no surprise that college graduates have much healthier life styles. There are also more worried about there health and the welfare of there families. Parents with higher education tend to promote healthier habits and as a result there children tend to have high learning potentials (Schultz 2007).

Cardenas 4 College is a big stage for you to show your peers what you are capable of doing. It is great practice grounds for your social skills and for the perfection of such. Makings friends in college is part of that whole experience that makes the college years exciting and short. Making friends in college will not only help you develop or improve your personal and social skills; but they will also come in handy to cope with the stresses related to school. It is always good to have a pool of friends in which you can relay. Since you will be more than likely keeping your college buddies for the rest of your life, these may come in handy once you have left college. College is a good source to find those meaningful friendships that will motivate you and experience with you the magic of the college life. Plus one can never have too many friends, besides you never know what the future may hold for you or your friends. The whole experience will definitively shape your character. Students usually develop morales that will determinate the type of citizen he or she might be. Citizens with higher educations are more involve in community activities and will make much more educated decisions. Because of the level of education; college students are more willing to take direct action towards causes that could hurt them. They will usually stand there ground for ideals or believes ignoring the consequences. In comparison to those students that decided not to attend college; college students are more rounded in matters of culture and ethics. These students are aware of there country as well as of other nations. I have told you about some of the benefits of going to college. You have heard me say that you can make more money than your high school counterpart. I have also shared who going to college enhances your skills, and understanding. I also spoke about the health interest, and how college grads are becoming more responsible with there families. In conclusion, college is way more than just a diploma or certificate; it is a way for people to come together, to grow, and to

Cardenas 5 learn. College has many experiences to offer and it is up to each and every one of us to make the most of each situation we may encounter as college students. It is time for us to stop looking at college as a way to spend time and money; but rather as a way to enrich our lives and invest in our future. I know I had my doubts about college but now that I look at college as a growing step in my career an in my life, I see the wonderful potential I have and how college has help me to shape my character. Now it is your turn, what will be the selling point for you, will you finally see the value in all of those extra curricular activities or will you overlook and only experience 35% of college? How will your experience shape you? And most important will you see the importance and the difference a college education make on you.

Cardenas 6 Works Cited Gardner, J. N., Jewler, A. J., & Barefoot, B. O. (2009). Your College Experience: Strategies for Success. (8th ed). Boston:Thomson Wodsworth. Kristof, Kathy. (2009 February 02). The Great College Hox. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from http://www.forbes.com Nafeesch, Abdullah. (2007 June 30). Higher Education and the Importance of it in todays Society. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://www.associatedcontent.com Schultz, Jennifer L., Higbee, Jeanne L. (2007 Spring). Research and teaching in Developmental Education. Reasons for Attending College: The Student point of View. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4116/is_200704/ai_n19430914/