Hang in there and finish your degree, college students. The statistics are in your favor.
On average, college graduates make 80 percent more than those who do not attend or finish college, according to the New York Fed. And once those college graduates get employed, they are more likely to stay employed.
This news comes at a time when it seems all college students are drowning in debt. Two-thirds of all college students borrow money, and the average borrower will borrow $26,600, according to The Institute for College Access and Success Project on Student Debt. One in 10 college graduates will come out with more than $40,000 in debt.
It’s enough to make any cash-strapped student despair and wonder if a college degree is even worth the expense.
But before you drop out of college to enter the workforce, consider the benefits of your degree. Attending college will help you in the long run.
It’s true that experience in your field pays off, but without a college degree, you must have a lot of experience to compare the salaries of your college-graduate coworkers. The average salary of a recent graduate is $37,000, almost $1,000 more than an experienced worker without a college degree. Experience is important, but much experience is needed to match the value of a college degree.
Certain degrees, such as health science, engineering, business and architecture, allow graduates to make substantially more than people with only a high school diploma. But every degree will benefit you in the long run
The debt may make you despair in the short term. But in the long run, the money you make from your college degree will well outweigh the debt you may incur.
The piece of paper you are handed when you graduate is nice, but you can stretch your tuition dollars even more by taking advantage of resources offered to you in college. You can even avoid debt by applying for scholarships. Two weeks ago, The Crow’s Nest wrote about how to get scholarships. You can view that article on our website,
But if you have to take out loans, view it as an investment toward your future. Be intentional with planning for the future while you are in college.
Many of your professors have connections in the field. Be sure to talk to your professors. Your professors probably won’t be able to give you a job, but they may be the person to introduce you to that future employer. And don’t forget to do your best work for that professor. When that employer comes asking about your performance, your professor can give you a positive recommendation.
Talk to your professors about how to structure your resume for your field. If you can’t get help from a professor, USF St. Petersburg provides students with a career center. There, you can get your resume critiqued, receive interview advice and potentially receive information about companies that are hiring.
Last week, 80 employers were on campus for the career center’s job fair. As a student, events like the job fair are free to you. Take advantage of those and find a place to intern. Then, you’ll graduate with a degree and experience.
The cost of that degree doesn’t sound so bad anymore.
