For many of us, going to college is a right of passage that eventually takes us into the adult world of responsibility, knowledge, money, and  opportunity. It teaches us about both ourselves and the world around us, about the homes we grew up in, and our planetary neighbors. There are also many who manage to do just fine without a college education, but as a whole, statistics plainly reveal the more educated we are,  the more productive we are in society, and thus life as a whole. Perhaps more than anything else, a university campus surrounds  young people with the multiplicity of perspective. In turn, we learn that  our own world view is but one of many and not simply the norm. Below are the top ten reasons to attain a post-secondary education, in no discernible order.

• 1. Become More Knowledgeable in Several Areas
  Although one of the main goals in college is to gain a degree in a particular area, almost every degree will require that you study some core subjects, such as English, math and communication skills. These skills are likely to help you in a future career as you’ll excel beyond candidates who might not have had this broad range of learning opportunities. Some areas will help you in all aspects of life. For example, the ability to speak in front a of a group of people may be something you use in volunteer work for organizations or in groups of friends.

• 2. Learn More About Your Favorite Topic
  One of the biggest reasons to go to college is to learn as much as you possibly can in your chosen subject. In a college setting, you’ll gain access to professors who have advanced degrees in their subject. You’ll find some self-assessment tools on this site, which will help you decide what you should study and if you should study at a traditional university or online. You might also want to read articles like How to Choose a Major in College and get advice from sites like CourseAdvisor.com.

• 3. Build Self Confidence
  One of the biggest boosts from college is an increase in self confidence. Completing even a single class should be a cause for celebration and create a sense of accomplishment in the student. As a college student completes more courses and finds those areas where he or she excels, a sense of self becomes more evident. There are many ways to continue to build confidence, even after graduating from school. There are also online classes one can take to increase self reliance and sense of self.

• 4. Enhance Employment Opportunities
  Those who graduate from college are more likely to land a better paying job, because of specialized training and today’s employment market, which prefers workers with degrees. While there are many points to consider in the debate between higher education or getting a job out of high school, it is always smart to get some specialized training to fall back on. A quick search on sites such as CareerBuilder and Monster.com will help you determine if the potential careers you are seeking require a degree or what the pay difference might be between two and four year degrees.

• 5. Make More Money
  Among the many ways listed to make more money, getting an education shows up on nearly every list. Some careers are obviously higher in demand than others, including anything in health care. Discuss possible career choices with your college advisor, who will have up to date information about job forecasts in a particular field of interest. You may also want to do some research on sites such as Bureau of Labor Statistics, which releases job forecasts.

• 6. Set an Example for Your Children
  Want to encourage your children to go on to higher education and get a college degree? Probably the best way to encourage this is to set the example by taking some college courses yourself. Local community colleges are a nice place to start and often offer a wide variety of courses, including items like photography and writing. You may even want to compare a four year college and a trade school education.

• 7. Learn About Diverse Interests
  Depending upon where you completed most of your elementary and high school education, you may not have had a chance to be around other cultures. College is often a mix of many different people from many different walks of life. This can expand your horizons. Diversity is also a big part of college admissionsthese days. Since you will likely work with many different personalities and ethnicities when you begin your career, college can help prepare you for this.

• 8. Gain Independence
  College allows students to begin to live independently from Mom and Dad, but in a still controlled environment. This can make the transition from home to living on your own much less stressful and more gradual. Participating in various youth activities can help students begin to learn the skills needed to live on their own. The decision of whether to stay home and attend a local city college or go away to school can be a tough one to make.

• 9. Meet Different People and Make New Friends
  It has often been said that the friends you make in college are the friends that you keep for life. Whether this is true or not, college is a great opportunity to make new friends and meet new people. Learn how other people made friends in college. If you’re feeling a little uncertain about this process, you may want to arrange to meet your future roommate before school starts and read up on tips for making new friends, such as the one at FamilyEducation.com about making friends in college.

• 10. Increase Your Network
  College friends and acquaintances can create a valuable network you can utilize for years to come in your career and social life. You may want to keep in mind some networking timetables as you move toward graduation day and get some additional networking tips. You may also want to utilize networking sites like Facebook, Classmates.com, College Tonight, Twitter and even MySpace.com.

*source: lovetoknow.com