A College Degree: Not "Just A Piece of Paper"

I'm the Online College Adviser, and for good reason. I've been a professional academic adviser for over 10 years. As such, I have helped thousands if not tens of thousands of people figure out what it takes to be able to go back to school and get back on track in pursuing their college or university degrees. But almost without fail, within the course of that initial conversation, the person says, "Everyone knows that it's just a piece of paper, but that little piece of paper is keeping me from getting the promotion I've been aiming for (or earning the salary that I deserve, etc.)."

It doesn't take a genius to know how valuable that "little piece of paper is." Just look in the newspaper classified ads and you'll see jobs one after the other listing a college degree as a necessary requirement, even to get your foot in the door. And more and more people are being passed over for promotions because they don't have that vital accomplishment on their resume. In fact, as the world becomes more technologically advanced, a college degree coupled with real world skills is what employers want. And contrary to popular belief, there are often many significant differences between those who have completed degrees and those who have not. A good degree adds significant value (which I'll discuss more in another post). That's why employers keep on searching for and hiring the applicants with degrees.

A college degree is truly a key to unlock the door to countless future opportunities.

The main thing I wanted to point out today is that a college or university degree is so much more than just a piece of paper. It's not quick; it's not easy; and it doesn't come without some sacrifice. But that's part of what makes it so valuable. Except for those diploma mills which sell degrees requiring lots of money but not a lot of effort (yet another topic which I'll save that for another post), legitimate schools and programs will require your time and commitment. They will challenge you to stretch yourself, sometimes to the limit. To walk this road takes patience and grit and focus and determination. And hopefully, if you do it right, it's also going to be extremely rewarding because, more likely than not, your mind will expand, your perspectives will shift, and your horizons will broaden. You'll experience the thrill of that proverbial light bulb switching on and saying to yourself, "Wow...I never thought of it like that before."

Education changes people in meaningful and significant ways.

Without a doubt, there is so much to learn in life and there is plenty which can be gleaned from experiences outside of college. I'm not contesting that AT ALL. However, there are all kinds of advantages and skills that come as a result of formalized learning programs like associate, bachelor, or master degree programs, which is one reason why they are increasingly growing in popularity. Most notably, online college and university degree programs are in EXTREMELY high demand because most people don't have the luxury of quitting their day job in order to go back to school.

More education = greater earning potential

One final reason to take the plunge and head back to school is the bottom line, pure and simple: academic or technical degrees almost always equate to more money. In other words, more education equates to greater earning potential. This trend has been seen for years, and there are lots of different studies out there to back it up. However, the clearest one I found comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. They released a report last year (2006) based on data from 2004, and they found the following:

“Adults age 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $51,554 in 2004, while those with a high school diploma earned $28,645.... Those without a high school diploma earned an average of $19,169.” (If you're interested, you can view the report details HERE.)

So, the difference can be thousands of dollars every year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime.

If those numbers don’t convince you to do something now, then maybe this will. Researchers at Arizona State University’s Center for Business Research (posted on October 27, 2005) found that a college degree is a better long-term investment than even the stock market.

“Putting money into a four-year college education turns out to be a better financial investment – to the tune of $1 million more over one’s lifetime than people who have just a high school education.

The rate of return on the money spent to earn a bachelor's degree is 12 percent per year, compared with the long-run average annual return on stocks of 7 percent.” (View the full story HERE.)

You’ve probably been searching around for some information on how to get started. It can be a very overwhelming process, so the best way to handle it is to take a deep breath and dive right in. The good news is that you found Online College Adviser. This blog will give you resources, answer questions, and offer guidance to get you back on the road to your own college degree. Also, I'll do my best to point out potential pitfalls that make it difficult to complete an educational degree, especially if you are taking courses through an online college or university.

I always like to share with my students this particular motivational quote, especially as they embark on the pursuit of a college degree:

The race is won not always by the swift,
but by those who keep on running.

Remember: it's not a sprint; it's actually closer to a marathon (or at least a fairly long race).

But don't despair. Rest assured that the Online College Adviser is here to help you get fired up to go back to school. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them. I will use your feedback to shape what I write as the days and weeks go by. And I remain confident that you will take what you learn to be able to get back on track to completing your college degree.

But for now, here are some resources to help get you started. I'm in the process of gathering more, but at least this is a place to begin. Click the Online College Adviser's resource website.

Onward and upward!

Look for my next post: Back to College - First Steps