Eduloan Blog

 

5 good reasons to get a further education

There are some obvious reasons why getting a further education is an excellent idea. As a society we tend to focus on the ones related to career advancement, but there are plenty of other benefits that we can identify.

It can be the basis of a lifelong career

If you have a passion for a subject and want to make it a career, this is where it all really starts. Secondary schooling will have equipped you with the basics; after that, everything becomes more specialised. So a tertiary education is the first step in your real career path.

You can begin this journey any time you like, although the sooner the better, as this will give you a longer career. For those who haven't been able to afford further education or who haven't known what they want to do with their lives until now, it's never too late to start in pursuit of your life's ambitions.

It can expand your career

If you have already qualified and started your career, this doesn't mean that there isn't room for further study. It's always important to remain current in your career and to keep developing personally. Further education can be the key to this. The more well-rounded your education, the richer your career will be.

For instance, if you have a marketing degree, you can do a further branding or digital media course, which will ensure that you are up to date in your field of interest, and give you an additional qualification that you can use to advance your career. Similarly, if you have a nursing qualification you can supplement it by doing a course in nutrition.

You might be surprised at the wide choice available for you to supplement and advance your career. In fact, many colleges and other further education providers have curricula known as "career courses". These are specifically designed to give you additional tertiary education after you have started your career. To illustrate, one of the main further education colleges in the country offers career courses ranging from human resources management and IT, to multimedia studies, hospitality, tourism and business administration.

It broadens your horizons

A tertiary education can expose you to new points of view in your chosen area of interest, different perspectives on life in general, and all kind of new ideas, concepts and opportunities.

This is particularly true if you come from a small town or community. Universities and colleges are melting pots of thoughts and ideas, giving you the opportunity to greatly expand your own world view.

Take every opportunity to do this. Not only will your life be forever enriched; you will also become a better-rounded, interesting person.

It teaches you to think more critically

This is possibly the most important thing that you should learn during your further studies. Any good course or lecturer will ensure that, while they are teaching you about a subject, they also teach you how to think about that subject. How to evaluate theories and ideas on the subject, to find their merits or their weaknesses.

It's a skill that will serve you well in all areas to which you need to apply your mind in life, not only in your studies and career. Internet technology has caused a huge increase in the amount of information to which we are exposed, and it's very important for each of us to have the ability to process and evaluate that information critically.

It lets you build networks

Whatever your interests, you're virtually guaranteed to find like-minded people at your place of study. This is especially true of large institutions with big campuses, like the major universities. So it's an excellent place to form new relationships around these interests, which can often last a lifetime.

Of course this networking isn't confined to hobbies and interests. Many of the people with whom you study will go on to take up the same career as you do, making the campus an ideal place to form solid relationships that will stand you in very good stead once you enter the workplace or start your own business.

It's good for you

Plenty of studies have shown that the more educated you are, the greater your life satisfaction and the better your general health. Other interesting benefits are that more educated people have also been shown to live longer, are more likely to vote and are more socially mobile.

All of which boils down to one thing: if you get the opportunity to improve your education, take it.

Let's start a conversation. Let me know what you think here or connect with me on Twitter (@EduloanSA)