As a society we tend to believe the more education we receive from a college or university the better off we are in the job market and establishing a solid career for our futures. Although I tend to agree with this, to a point, I also believe there is much more to it…
Here are some FUN FACTS:
- In 1980 the average tuition for college was around $ 3,500.00 for a 4-year institute
- Today, that same 4-year tuition is up around $ 22,000.00
- The top 10 earning college and university presidents today earn between $ 1.6-3.4 million a year
- The median salary for a president is $ 375,000.00
- The average cost for grad-school for a business major in the 2011-2012 year for a top-20 business school was $ 103,000.00 (based on Bloomberg Business Week data) with an average salary of $ 45,000.00
What this tells us is that higher education is not what it used to be. People are making millions of dollars off of students that are not properly setup for success upon graduation. It can be extremely difficult for a young student to navigate the complexities of a freshman year picking a major and classes and most importantly the right school. But yet each year professors and executives at these same schools are making money hand over fist.
Students have to now take on college with a future outlook and make the most out of it – but unfortunately no one tells you this, or helps, during your senior year in high school…
Get The Most of your Degree
As a graduate from a top business school in the Boston area, Suffolk University, I highly recommend going to college and continuing a students education. It is important to have a college experience and to meet professors that can educate you on today’s economy and business world. However, it is important to get the most out of your degree and do not always count on a degree to secure your financial freedom.
What I Learned in College
- THE RIGHT CLASSES: pick classes that are going to benefit you – we all want to have a few classes we can cruise through, however given the cost of tuition (especially if you will have student loans when you graduate) you want to make sure every $1.00 you spend for tuition can potentially create $2.00 out for you in the future (simple investment strategy, right?).
- SHOW UP: you will not learn anything by sitting in your dorm room. I played football and had a very social life, but I made time to study and pass my courses with above average grades. Your GPA is extremely important and can hurt you in the future when applying to jobs.
- WORK HARD: we all want Financial Freedom. It is not easy to obtain, TRUST ME. You have to work extremely hard to keep up with today’s cost of living but more importantly you DO NOT want to live paycheck to paycheck.
- ASK QUESTIONS: professors want to help – most of them have been in executive level positions and have an abundance of connections in the business world. Use that to your advantage.
- GO THE EXTRA MILE: college is not just about going to classes and passing them to graduate – you really are there to learn and advance your education and working career. College is much more expensive than ever before and you are not guaranteed a job when you graduate. So many people are going to college that companies have an abundance of applicants to pick from in a lot of cases. So you cannot be another number – separate yourself. This might mean writing your report and asking your professor to proof read it 3 days before it is do, asking to have additional resources to contact for a particular project, develop a Student Sphere that might meet every other week and share ideas on subject matters, talk with alumni and ask for tips on how they were successful or maybe how they were not in some areas…
Society is Not Always Right
Many students believe that they have to follow a certain career path because of many factors – Society being # 1. In addition, parents can push there children in one direction or another:
“My father is a doctor so I am going to medical school…”
“My mother works for Fidelity and thinks I should get into Finance…”
“A lot of wealthy people are in investments and stocks, that is what I want to do because I want to be wealthy…”
“I want to be a business owner so I can have full control, spend money when I want and travel the world…”
Unfortunately, this is the problem with our society – we are surrounded by followers and not enough LEADERS. The fact of the matter is that there are a lot of people are extremely wealthy, and most importantly HAPPY, in other fields that might not sound so fruitful.
Like:
- Construction or Contracting (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Building, etc.)
- Energy Conservation and Management
- Property Management (Residential or Commercial)
- Real Estate
Being from the construction field I know many people that have been extremely successful because they loved what they did, worked hard at there craft every day and were innovative (different, unique…).
So, In Closing:
I believe college is great and every teenager leaving high school should consider going. However, it will not guarantee you a great job, financial freedom and happiness. That comes from you. The cost of higher education today is so expensive that you need to really focus and work hard at figuring out what it is you want to do by the end of your first year so you can best utilize that education. Find an internship to get a look at various types of work in your field and then use all of your resources to secure a job by working extremely hard and respecting what mentors and leadership do and say.
And finally, EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY – it is leading our world and will continue to!
Find out what you love to do and you will never have to work a day in your life. The money will come!
Thanks for listening!
Bryan Marino, President
Marino Graphics
Data used above was pulled from various sites:
