10 Great Reasons to Get Your Degree

Learning — By 88DB Knowledge on November 21, 2011 10:20 am

Deciding if you should study for your degree?

Taking on the challenge of a degree course can be daunting.

You’ll face challenges financially, academically, socially, intellectually and physically.

So is it worth it?

Here are 10 reasons why you should get your degree.

1. More Money

Do degree holders earn more?
Here are the key statistics on the average salaries of diploma versus degree holders.
(Data from Ministry of Manpower 2010 Preliminary Findings)

Diploma Holders (Pre-NS): S$1,871
Diploma Holders (Post-NS): S$2,183
Degree Holders: S$3,027

So, the answer is yes. Degree holders earn an average of S$844 more per month than diploma holders. That’s S$10,128 more annually.

2. Increased Opportunities

Having a degree opens up a new set of jobs and brings more advancement opportunities down the line.

With a degree, you’ll have many more careers to choose from.

Some professions are wholly dependent on the training acquired through a university degree.

You might be able to start your business without a BA in business studies, but you won’t be allowed to step inside an operating theatre without medical training.

3. Lifelong Connections

Earning a degree affords you the opportunity to meet people who can not only become lifelong friends, but can also help you in your career.

Between fellow students and your lecturers, there are plenty of networking chances while you pursue your degree.

These connections can get you in touch with others and help to further your learning and your career.

4. Learn

At university, you will learn.

A degree offers you knowledge in not just one specified field, but also lifelong skills like time management, critical thinking and relationship development.

Also helpful are skills like how to write a passable 12,000 word dissertation in 4 days or how NOT to set fire to yourself with a Bunsen burner.

5. Weather Adversity

Not only do degree holders earn more over their lifetime, but finding a new job and keeping it can be easier for those who have degrees.

By having more money available (see #1 in the list) and marketable skills, you’ll be able to handle an economic downturn better.

Even if you lose your job, a degree holder is still more likely to be picked up by new employers.

6. Make a Difference

Earning your degree creates a powerful sense of personal pride.

You’ll be satisfied with what you have accomplished and it will offer you a great self-esteem boost.

You don’t have to save the world, but having a degree also makes it more likely that you can accomplish more.

7. Bias

It might not be politically correct, but if you don’t have a college degree chances are that people will under estimate your abilities.

Many companies, large or small, automatically reject resumes that don’t have a degree on them.

It might not be a matter of company policy, as much as the fact that the person handling the applications has a degree.

What a degree education proves in the real world is that you can show up on time, write reasonably well and have developed enough common sense to actually function in an environment with other adults without making them want to strangle you.

Given that most potential employers don’t know you all that well, it’s probably a good thing.

8. Improved Work Conditions

With a degree, the chances are that you wouldn’t be working on a factory line.

Jobs that degree holders work at get a bunch of fringe benefits such as more vacation time, health/dental/vision insurance and career training.

On a lighter note, it’s easier for a degree holder to get a job in an air-conditioned office. Crucial for Singapore.

9. See the Bigger Picture

The beauty of a university education is that it broadens your horizons.

It teaches you to think critically and analyze issues, deepening your understanding of the world.

Just like travelling the world will change your perspective forever, so does a university education.

It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that all your members of parliament, CEOs and CFOs all hold at least a degree.

There’s a clear correlation between educational background and achievement.

Not everyone can be like Bill Gates, Kayne West or Steve Jobs.