A diploma is the key to your future

There are a lot of things in life which one can lose. You can lose your keys, your house, a family member, a body part, your spouse or even your job. The one thing that no one can take from you is knowledge. Once you obtain an education, through no unnatural fault of your own can you lose such a distinction. Earning a college degree is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall life. Studies have been shown that college educated individuals earn more in a lifetime, live longer and are generally happier than those without a college education. Those without a degree will forever have a “glass ceiling” hindering their career potential. A degree is just a distinction rather than a steadfast marker of knowledge. It is true that there are plenty of successful people without college degrees such as Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Tom Hanks, Ted Turner, Steve Martin, and Woody Allen. Why do corporations place so much emphasis on earning a college degree? Most professionals agree that although, some general training was learned in college most important skills were learned on the job. Fifty years ago we had millions business owners and investment bankers without college degrees that did just fine. Corporations use the college degree as a tool to narrow down the competition. Imagine how crowded the job market would be if access to all jobs was available to the entire population. Is there a better way to qualify job applicants other than a college education? It’s hard to say. General aptitude tests in Law, Business or Medicine could be administered to interested parties. Those who pass the test could be considered for employment in that chosen field. Through testing it would give those who are intelligent a chance to compete for employment without having to attend college. Educators argue that a current 4 year college degree only contains about a 1 ½ of technical training pertaining to ones major. Some education experts agree that college should only be 2 years of general studies such as Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science or English. Then students wanting to get specific training in a technical area such as Law, Business or Medicine would have the option of continuing an education. Some companies might take a cue from sports teams and begin recruiting students still in college. Those individuals who are deemed worthy could choose to opt out of receiving a degree and go straight to work. Today, finding talent is mostly associated with the completion of a college degree. All theories aside, those wanting to rise the ranks in the corporate world will need an advanced education.  Earning a college degree is the best way to get ahead in life. Getting an online education or spacing out a degree over several years is one of the best options for those not able to quit their jobs.