by L. Lee

Created on: August 08, 2008

An individual who has earned one or more university degrees is more likely to be employed, to have broader career choices, and to earn significantly higher income than one without but for me, university is not about the money as much as it is about paying attention.

According to Statistics Canada, unemployment rates are lower for individuals of both genders who possess university degrees than for those who don't. In 2005, for example, 65% of secondary school graduates were employed, compared to 72% of those with a college diploma or certificate, and 76% of those who had earned at least a Bachelor's Degree (Statistics Canada; 2006). The variance in the average incomes earned is even broader; in 2001, for example, the average income for a Canadian with a university degree was $48,648, while those with college diplomas earned an average of $32,736, and those with a secondary school diploma earned an average of $25,477 (Statistics Canada; 2004).

Certain positions require a specific degree, and rightly so. We trust doctors with our health and our lives; lawyers with our property and freedom; engineers with our safety, teachers with our children: we, as a society, depend on universities to ensure that the people who fill these roles have developed and demonstrated the skills and knowledge they need in order to be entrusted with so much responsibility. In some cases, the need for a university degree seems somewhat less clear. There are many jobs advertised for which, perhaps, the requirement of a degree seems excessive at least to those of us who don't have that particular piece of paper. Within the college, for example, there are many instructors, who, like me, teach a variety of courses. And yet, to be considered for a position in the Communications department, or for almost any full time faculty position, a degree is required. Until I began working towards my degree, this seemed unreasonable if my skills are sufficient to teach a full load without the piece of paper, why require me to have one? Now that I am engaged in earning my degree, however, I can see the benefit to the students, and to the college in the requirement.

In my admittedly limited experience to date, I have already observed changes in my approach to my surroundings and to learning. For me, university has quickly become about paying attention not only in the classroom, but also to everything else. The more I am exposed to in my courses, the more connections I discover in what I read, watch, and hear

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