Introduction
In contemporary society, higher education has become a core aspect of success and development and ascension into various economic classes (Haveman & Smeeding, 2006). Higher education is a gateway to good jobs, careers, and lifestyles. This is demonstrable through the emphasis that parents of high school students put on the importance of college admission.
Students are encouraged to study hard and get good grades that will enable them to pursue higher education. Parents believe that it is the role of the government to ensure that all students who qualify for higher learning get adequate opportunities despite the rising cost of education.
Higher education equips graduates with the knowledge, experience, and skills that are important for the attainment of success in their lives (Henderson-King, & Smith, 2006). It is impossible to pursue any careers without first pursuing higher education.
Even careers that do not require higher education often favor the most educated in the specific field. Employers look for people with excellent qualifications. For that reason, higher education has become competitive, imperative, and expensive.
The value of higher education in society
Higher education has great value in today’s society. First, it gives people an opportunity to pursue their interests and passions (Haveman & Smeeding, 2006). For example, my passion for business and management motivated me to pursue a degree in human resource management. Knowledge acquired in school helps people to pursue their career and develop them to great heights.
Secondly, higher education equips individuals with various sets of skills that are necessary for the attainment of goals and objectives (Henderson-King, & Smith, 2006). Examples of these skills include communication, tolerance, perseverance, compassion, honesty, critical thinking, and planning.
These skills are acquired by participating in discussions, practical sessions, completing homework, conducting research, and doing assessment tests (Haveman & Smeeding, 2006). The main advantage of higher education is that skills acquired are useful in all aspects of life. People use them at home, at their workplaces, and in the community.
On the other hand, education teaches people to develop certain dispositions that include curiosity, positive attitudes, strong beliefs, and insight. Research has found out that higher education not only provides knowledge in specific fields but also develops cognitive skills that are valuable (Henderson-King, & Smith, 2006).
Third, higher education enables individuals to earn a living through employment and pursuance of career opportunities (Keeling & Hersh, 2012). Many people rise to the middle-class lifestyle through pursuing education. It is difficult to secure a stable and well-paying job without higher education. Fourth, it provides an opportunity for upward social mobility (Keeling & Hersh, 2012).
A college or university degree exposes individuals to endless opportunities. Securing a job is the most common channel of earning an income in order to support one’s family. Unlike in the informal or private sector, pursuing higher education is not as strenuous as trying to start a business. With the proliferation of different sectors of the economy, job opportunities are available and plenty.
Finally, higher education contributes to the development of nations. A research study involving 600 government officials revealed that 97 percent of them believed that higher education was one of the core factors that promote the development of the American society (Keeling & Hersh, 2012).
Currently, the world is undergoing changes, especially in technology. New medical procedures and ways of doing things are discovered every day. In order to take advantage of these changes, people with higher education are needed. For example, researchers are needed to make breakthrough scientific discoveries while doctors are needed to execute complex medical surgeries (Haveman & Smeeding, 2006).
Higher education has economic, financial, spiritual, and social gains. Each sector of the economy needs experts and professionals to facilitate growth. Education is one of the main factors that differentiate developed and undeveloped nations (Keeling & Hersh, 2012). Illiteracy is a major characteristic of undeveloped countries. Higher education provides mental and economic freedom.
Some people argue that higher education is not important because individuals like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not pursue higher education, and they succeeded. This notion is misleading because even though they succeeded, they needed highly educated people to run their companies.
They did not need higher education to start their multinational corporations. However, they required managers, accountants, strategists, and engineers to steer their companies to success (Psacharapoulos & Patrinos, 2004). Their corporations are highly successful because of the input from professionals and experts. The role of higher education cannot be ignored in determining factors that lead to the success of organizations and businesses.
Skills acquired through higher education
Through pursuing higher education, I have attained several skills that will be important in life. These include communication, networking, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, and planning. In addition, I have acquired knowledge and skills in various aspects of technology. In today’s labor market, employers prefer individuals with excellent skills and experience.
In addition, they prefer people with demonstrable leadership and management qualities that guarantee optimal performance (Psacharapoulos & Patrinos, 2004). I will use my communication skills during interviews and discussions especially during the start of my career.
Planning and problem-solving skills will be useful during the development of strategies in order to improve productivity and performance, as well as the development of better ways to enhance the attainment of goals. These skills will be useful in my career as a manager or business leader. I am pursuing a degree in Human Resource Management and after graduation, I intend to pursue a master’s degree in business.
I will use the technology skills to introduce change and create efficient methods of achieving goals in my career. Embracing different technologies will improve efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, I will use these skills to conduct research and increase knowledge of Human Resource Management.
Good communication, planning, and time management skills are important in my career of choice (Sullivan, 2011). Teamwork skills will enable me to work together with other people in order to increase organizational output.
The skills that I have acquired will be helpful in numerous ways. Time management, planning, perseverance, and hard work will be important in my master’s program. Unlike college education, postgraduate education is challenging and very demanding. It requires discipline, focus, and dedication (Sullivan, 2011). Hard work and perseverance will assist me to complete postgraduate education and pursue a career of my choice.
One of the challenges of higher education is time management. I will use my time management skills to create a schedule that will facilitate the pursuance of career-related matters as well as other activities like socializing.
I intend to major in a business related career that might involve developing and executing strategies, managing teams, and making tough decisions. I will be able to execute these tasks because of the possession of excellent leadership and managerial skills.
Higher education offers several opportunities for citizens. These include job opportunities, economic empowerment, social development, and attainment of knowledge (Sullivan, 2011). Through higher education, citizens are able to acquire knowledge that helps them to generate ideas, make good decisions, spot opportunities, solve problems, overcome difficulties, and attain various skills and dispositions.
Moreover, higher education offers employment opportunities that enable citizens to earn money in order to support their families (Sullivan, 2011). Many employees are in the middle class because of the benefits of pursuing education. Majority of the people in the lower class are unemployed and financially unstable because they did not pursue higher education.
I have gained a lot from my educational journey including knowledge, skills, and experience that will be the foundation of my career and life. I encourage others to follow my example because knowledge is very important for the attainment of success. Education has transformed my economic, mental, and spiritual dispositions. It has converted my narrow mindedness to open-mindedness.
In today’s world, maintaining an open mind is important because there are numerous opportunities available and only an open mind can spot them. Education has strengthened my ability to think creatively, plan, criticize, decide, compare, and compute. Moreover, it has strengthened my will and offered new insights into various matters that are important in life (Sullivan, 2011). Learning is an enjoyable and rewarding activity.
Therefore, I intend to maintain a lifelong learning attitude. I will achieve this by perceiving learning as a way of attaining knowledge in order to overcome difficulties, problems, and challenges. A positive attitude towards education will open my mind to different opportunities and possibilities.
Conclusion
In contemporary society, education is very important. It promotes communication and socialization among people. Higher education is imperative because it offers numerous opportunities and skills that include communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, time management, and planning. These skills are useful in both formal and informal sectors.
Lack of knowledge is one of the factors that derail the development of nations as evident from the high rates of illiteracy in undeveloped countries. Education boosts a country’s economy and social structure. For example, higher education is responsible for the middle class in the United States of America.
It is important for governments to implement measures and policies that encourage the pursuance of higher education for economic and social sustainability. The importance of education is evident from low economic and social growth experienced in undeveloped countries that have high rates of illiteracy.
References
Haveman, R., & Smeeding, T. (2006). The Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility. The Future of Children, 16(2), 125-150.
Henderson-King, D., & Smith, M. (2006). Meanings of Education for University Students: Academic Motivation and Personal Values as Predictors. Social Psychology of Education, 9, 195-221.
Keeling, R., & Hersh, R. H. (2012). We are Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Psacharapoulos, G., & Patrinos, H. A. (2004). Returns to Investment in Education: A Further Update. Education Economics, 12(2), 111–134.
Sullivan, W. (2011). Professional Education: Aligning Knowledge, Expertise, and Public Purpose. In E. C. Lagemann & H. Lewis, What is college For? The Public Purpose of Higher Education, (pp. 104-131). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.