Now, I think we’ve established that in my opinion, don’t get a degree to improve your career. You may require education for your chosen career, doctors and lawyers, but you do not require a college degree to work in software engineer for instance, or a lot of others.

So, what in the world is the meaning of this post then? The title seems to be in direct conflict with what I’ve said in previous posts and above. My opinion on education is central to my opinions on life. For every situation there is a unique answer. For every circumstance there may be a different stance to take. At times I feel education is not something to focus on and others I think it’s very important to.

So, now to the point of this post. In my opinion, education is very valuable. Education can expose you to a world of information, opinions, insights and views of the world. It can broaden your horizons and show you that the world is far greater than what you thought it was. If you have the option, go back to college. Got a degree already? Get another one. Learn, learn, learn. Yes, it is expensive but real value isn’t one based on money. It is based on the richness of knowing and all the benefits that come with it.

What benefits? I actually went to school late in life. I spent several years after high school working various jobs. I learned life from the view of the blue collar worker. I worked construction, food service, retail, you name it. I then decided that it wasn’t enough to simply work, I had to grow as a person as well. I went back to school and earned an A.S., B.S. and M.S. I earned all three partially because I thought it may help my career but mostly because I wanted to learn.  Going back to school exposed me to a wider world. That really is one of the greatest benefits that education brings. You get exposed to so many ideas and cultures that it enriches your own life.

Why formal education? Why not just learn it from the Internet? That is a great question. In today’s information age, just about everything is available including classes on the web from leading universities.  I do feel that learning in that manner is beneficial and should be done, however, it’s the interaction between you and other students that will benefit you the most.

Bottom line here, if you get the oppurtunity to return to college, go for it. But do so in a subject that you enjoy. Don’t just get an MBA to have an MBA. If you love astronomy, go for that! Why not? Education can be a tremendous life altering learning avenue to go down and it can also be a money sink if you go for a degree you aren’t really interested in.

The first thing I say to that is, is money the only reason we go to school? I went to school originally to have a leg up on the competition. I also wanted to learn a thing or two about a thing or two. I went to school to experience college, earn degrees and maybe benefit from them in the work place. Have I? Yes, a bit.

Though, there really should be some distinctions made between going to college and going to a overpriced ivy league, or equivalent, college. When you go to Harvard, you go knowing you will be among the future leaders of America. The same is true for other big league universities. You go there not to get a leg up, you go there to be the best of the best and earn a sizable salary.

Ok, but what about the rest of us. Most people do not get to go to Harvard, Yale or any other private college. Most of us don’t even get to go to college at all. For those that decided to get a Masters degree in something, does it really matter where you went? Is University of Phoenix online any better than University of Maryland University College? Are they together any better than any other college?

I suppose the answer depends on your own goals. I for one think that there are no hard and fast rules about this. I have met people that have their own business and not one day of college. I have met others that have several degrees and still work 60+ hours a week. They do make a good salary but at what price? The amount of debt in student loans, if you have them, ties you up to payments for ten years or more. Professional salary based jobs normally come with the understanding that a 40 hour work week really means 50+.

What’s the point of all this? I think the point is this. If you think college = better job think again. Sure you’ll get into an office, and you’ll make a bit more than others. But unless you are Ivy league or equal, you’re not going to be the next CEO of a company. Even MBA’s are worthless unless they come from a strong school.

The answer here, get a plan. What is it you have for a goal? Want to be a lawyer? You’ll need 8 years of school, or more. Want to make good money and provide for your family? You don’t necessarily need lots of college to do that.

My friend doesn’t have a B.S. and yet makes 70k a year. That’s good money. He made it because he put his head down, learned his job, did a good job at it, and was recognized for it. He was aggressive when he needed to be and passive when he didn’t. He’s given up the idea of going back to school for reasons of improving his work position. And honestly, why should he? Some of my friend’s have PHD’s and make less than those who don’t.

College is a passion. It is itself a career choice. Some jobs require it, lawyers, nurses, etc, some do not. If you want to make money, however, it is not always required to go to college. You may want it for the social signifigance of getting a higher degree. You may want it to prove to yourself you can get it. Both of those are fair and legitimate reasons. But what, I feel, is not is to get a M.S. just to earn more money. Will it? Maybe, but not much. If you don’t have passion for the job then more degrees just clutter up your resume. Save your money, put your head down and do the best job you can. You’re work will be rewarded with or without the advanced degree.