6 Not-So-Obvious Benefits Of Getting Your College Degree

I have never been one to look down on people without a college degree and that was for one simple reason — it cannot guarantee you a job, success, money, social status, personal fulfillment. It might, but that’s not always the case. Every once in a while you read about the world’s most famous people who haven’t gone to or dropped out of college and you think, Wow, that could be me. It could, but it won’t. As soon as that thought pops into your head, it’s not gonna be you. End of story.

However, in all that thinking about success, money, fame, expensive cars and mansions you might miss out on one thing. The life you have to lead in between being where you are and getting where you want to be. This brings me to my point.

1. PERSONAL FULFILLMENT

Believe it or not, reading a book about a topic that interests you is actually fun. And good for you. Who would’ve thought? Imagine what twenty of those books could do for you. Now imagine a world that those twenty books open up . There’s all kinds of new things and new interests to be found. Once you finish them, it’s on to another topic and on to another twenty books.

2. VOCABULARY

There is something to be said about being eloquent. It’s a sense of power, of knowledge, but also a sense of being able to talk yourself out of things. It’s also a street thing, believe it or not. Being able to play with words in a heartbeat opens up a world of possibilities. You can use sarcasm. And believe me, using sarcasm is a privilege of the intelligent.

3. RESPECT

Have you ever been in a room with somebody who spoke a few words and you were mesmerized? It is like a superpower. Some people have x- ray vision, some have x- ray words. They know when to use a certain expression to cut to the core of things. They leave you in a state of deep thought, thinking I never thought of it that way, but it’s so simple and so on point!

4. CONFIDENCE

One thing that comes with the super power that is being eloquent and well read is confidence. You may not know everything about everything, but you certainly are able to hold a conversation. And if it really is a topic you know nothing about, you have the confidence to actively listen to your interlocutor and ask intelligent questions. Another thing is that you feel confident enough to let the person you’re talking to have his or her “moment in the sun,” because that’s not your area of expertise. And that’s OK.

5. KNOWLEDGE OUTSIDE OF YOUR DOMAIN

As is the case with reading a good book, studying a certain subject for a while might also broaden your world views . For instance, if you study literature but also have an interest in psychology, you might find it easier to get access to certain books, websites and talk to psychology students if you move in the academic circles. As a bonus, you might be able to participate in tests they conduct. If nothing else, it is fun and you learn something about yourself.

6. LEARNING ABOUT YOURSELF

Have you chosen the career path you want to follow all your life? Do you know how to study efficiently? Are you the kind of person to use the knowledge you gain in the future or are you the kind to forget everything as soon as the exam is over? Are you able to take care of yourself in the cruel world?

Maybe you are, maybe you’re not. But that’s a thing you might learn being exposed to the world and learning about it.