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 elsewhere. In a very practical sense, one of the ways that university has changed my life is that I am less inclined to become bored and dismissive of things such as the movies that my partner likes to watch. Rather than avoiding the exercise altogether, which has often caused tension between he and I, I watch the movies with him. Only now, as a result of what we have talked about in one of my English courses, I pay attention to the symbolism, the motifs, the themes, and the historical data that is used. And as a result of the other of my courses, I pay attention to how the characters interact, the dialogue, and how the story is told. Even bad movies can be used to further my education. The same is true of novels; before I began studying English, I read a great deal but if a book was badly written, or for whatever reason did not capture my attention, I would toss it aside and move on. I still do reject certain books but not, now, until I have looked more closely at why I am doing so. Paying attention to the details will help me to become a better writer; to avoid making those same mistakes. Everything I learn leads me to more areas to research and read about, and I am rarely bored as a result.
It may well be that, in the long run, obtaining my university degree will result in more job opportunities, and a higher income. Even if it doesn't, though, already I can see the value of the challenges and the broader experiences it offers. It has changed the way I approach new experiences, the way I evaluate my work, and the attention I pay to what I watch and hear and read and write. University is not about jumping through hoops. It is about becoming who I am, and doing what I am capable of doing.