If you love learning and meeting new people, college is an exciting and intellectually stimulating environment. Living in a residence hall will help you make friends quickly and adjust to campus life. Hundreds of extracurricular activities enable you to have fun while learning teamwork and leadership skills. Completing a college degree will expand your career options. After finishing general education classes, you will focus on courses in your major field of study, which provides the foundation for your chosen career. According to Kiplinger, individuals with a bachelor’s degree average $21,580 more per year than workers with a high school diploma.
Industry needs are changing so rapidly that there are not enough college graduates with the skills in demand. Vocational and technical education offer a quick route to a successful career in fast-growing fields. For example, CNN Money reported in 2013 that Web developers earn about $30 an hour, and it is possible to be hired for a Web development job without a college degree if you possess the skills through self-training or completion of a certificate. The Association for Career and Technical Education reports that 27 percent of workers with a certificate or license earn a higher average wage than individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Popular technical careers are in health care, biotechnology, culinary arts, engineering and cybersecurity.
Virtually any job can help you develop good work habits. Employers appreciate workers who are honest, reliable, punctual and hard-working. Positive references are key to being promoted internally or finding a better job with a different company. Working a minimum wage job with long hours is not glamorous, but it may lead to a well-paying supervisory position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that from 2010 to 2020, 66 percent of the fastest-growing occupations will only require on-the-job training. The largest number of job openings will be in health and personal care, social assistance, business and construction.
Harvard strongly encourages students to take a year off between high school and college to unwind from intense academic pressures that can start in infancy. Many students find it beneficial to travel across the United States or around the world learning about other cultures. If you cannot afford long-distance travel, volunteering in other parts of your state or region can be insightful and rewarding as you think about the future direction of your life. Enlisting in military service is another way to travel and gain job skills.