How to Know the Importance of Education

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This article is co-authored by Dr. sc. megan morgan Megan Morgan is a graduate academic advisor at the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. She received her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 12 references cited in this article that can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved after it receives enough positive comments. In this case, 94% of the readers who voted found the article useful, earning us Reader Approved status. This article has been viewed 465,300 times.

Getting an education is important because most careers require at least some education and training. Although the decision to continue education is a personal choice, it is worth considering whether knowledge and experience are important to you. If you have career goals, chances are you’ll need an education to achieve them. Learning about the importance of education can motivate you to learn more and achieve great things.

1. 

   Decide your professional goals. If you’ve thought about your future, you probably have an idea of ​​what you want to do as a career. No matter what your goal is, it will likely require some degree of education.[1]

   • Look up information about your desired career online or talk to experts who work in the field. Chances are, anyone you talk to will tell you that you’ll need an education to get into the field. Keep in mind that the type of education you’ll need can vary: some fields require a formal college education, while others may lean more toward specialized training in that field.
   • In the United States, only 27 percent of the jobs available nationwide require less than a high school diploma. In contrast, high school graduates are considered qualified for 39 percent of available jobs nationwide.[2]
   • Many people leave school thinking that they would rather work than be in school, but statistics show that the majority of high school dropouts are unemployed with little or no source of income.[3]

2. 

   Get a better job. Even if the career you have chosen does not require advanced education to enter the field, you will most likely need an education if you want to advance or get a better paying job.[4]

   • People who have completed higher education tend to earn more than people who have not gone to school.[5]
     For example, in the United States, the median weekly earnings in 2014 for people with only a high school diploma were $751 (men) and $558 (women).[6]
     In contrast, median weekly earnings for people with at least a bachelor’s degree were $1,385 (men) and $1,049 (women) in 2014. For people with a bachelor’s degree, median weekly wages were even higher: $1,630 (men ) and $1185 (woman).[7]
   • Having a high school diploma dramatically increases your chances of getting a job compared to dropping out of high school. That number continues to grow as students pursue higher education through college and graduate school.[8]

3. 

   Find better opportunities. Getting an education opens many career doors for you. It can help you learn new skills, make professional connections, and generally achieve greater success.[9]

   • People who have completed advanced education often have more and better opportunities available to them because of their education.[10]
   • Even if you don’t have a high school diploma, completing a vocational education (education with an emphasis on a specific trade, such as an electrician) will likely increase your income level and your chances of finding a job.[11]
     If you have a high school education and a professional degree, you are a much more attractive job candidate.

1. 

   Overcome income inequality. Studies have shown that education, even basic education, can help low-income workers earn more money and be better off.[12]

   • Employers look for educational achievement. Even a high school diploma will reduce the risk of unemployment and increase the average lifetime earnings of most working adults.[13]
   • In the United States, 54 percent of high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 are unemployed. For high school students, that number drops to 32 percent of people in the same age group, and drops even further to 13 percent of people with a college degree.[14]

2. 

   Live a better life. In addition to the career opportunities that education brings to individuals, education can also be linked to a better life in general. Some research shows that people who stay in school are less likely to have legal problems in the future.[15]

   • Bachelor’s degree graduates earn an average of $1.64 million more than high school dropouts in their lifetime. High school graduates earn an average of $429,280 more than lifetime high school dropouts.[16]
   • Education (and subsequently a better job) can make people less likely to commit crimes for fear of losing what they have worked for.[17]
   • The average school dropout in America has a 1 in 10 chance of being arrested, while the average high school senior has only a 1 in 35 chance of being arrested.[18]
   • Some research suggests that education can also make people more patient and therefore less likely to be overcome by anger or violent tendencies.[19]

3. 

   Help your family. Having an education is generally associated with a greater ability to care for your family. This means that you can not only help your family financially, but also provide younger relatives with a positive role model and inspire them to continue their education.[20]

1. 

   Live a longer life. Some research shows that higher education can help you live longer. This could be because of the better working conditions that education brings, or it could be because getting an education helped move people away from unfavorable family situations. Regardless of the cause, many studies show that even a high school education significantly reduces the chance of dying young.

   • Young men who finished high school statistically live an average of seven years longer than men who dropped out of high school. Young women who finished high school live an average of six years longer than women who dropped out of high school.
   • Young men who have completed college live statistically an average of 13 years longer than men who have completed high school, and an average of six years longer than men who have completed high school and are not attending college. Young women who complete college live an average of 12 years longer than girls who leave high school and an average of six years longer than girls who finish high school and do not attend college.

2. 

   Be happier in life. In addition to living longer, people who get an education tend to be happier in life.[21]
   This is because education has been shown to make people better problem solvers and better equipped to deal with everyday problems.

   • Some research suggests that simply getting an education, regardless of subsequent income or job satisfaction, helps people have better mental health in the future.[22]

3. 

   Find more fulfillment in life. Some research suggests that people who have completed an education are more likely to search for things that offer them personal satisfaction.[23]

   • Flow, a term used to describe a meaningful and satisfying immersion in a task, is often associated with educational progression. In other words, education can help you find hobbies or passions that give you a sense of fulfillment.
   • Many schools encourage flow, whether intentionally or not, by offering a stimulating learning environment and meaningful extracurricular activities for students who might not otherwise have these opportunities.[24]

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Source: HIS Education