If you don’t Use your Head, your Body will Suffer

Last summer, I promised to help a friend move some furniture from her building. The hardest part of the process was moving a couch down some stairs through an elevator. The problem was that the couch was too high. We almost destroyed the couch trying to force it through the elevator.

If we had taken a moment to look around, observe, and think about the task we were undertaking, we would have realized that A) The couch was on the 6th floor of the building, and therefore it was highly unlikely that it had been carried up the stairs when my friend was moving in, and B) We were standing very close to an elevator that was high enough to be fully capable of accommodating the couch. One of us noticed this after we had fumbled around with the couch for a while.

Our bodies were sore, and we weren’t exactly feeling very bright.

That experience left me thinking. How many times do people act before they have researched a situation? How often do we quickly formulate a plan and implement it without taking time to think it through?

Failing to think things through causes unnecessary suffering. Our bodies suffered because we failed to use our heads. 

Some Questions to Ponder Before Going off to College

At a time when a full quarter of minimum wage jobs are held by graduates, it is a good idea to think carefully about what degree you want and why. More people than ever are going to college while the pool of good jobs is steadily shrinking.

It is important to think about the skills you are going to gain while in college. Are they the skills that are going to be in demand by employers?

What about the Return on Investment? Return on Investment matters a lot, especially for people who are going to be taking on student loans. Tuition costs have doubled within twenty years, making college very expensive. Teenagers hardly have enough life experience to consider the impact of student loans on their future lives.

Are you getting value for money?

An increasing number of employers feel that college graduates are joining the workforce unprepared. Take time to research the skills that you are going to gain while in college and how those skills will help you to carve your own space in the workforce.

Taking on thousands of dollars in debt and ending up in a minimum wage job – or no job at all – is a nightmare that many people are living. It takes some foresight to avoid ending up in this nightmare.

First off, going to college is worth it if you major in something lucrative. Take time to research just how lucrative a career is, and how good your employment prospects are.

While it is important to major in something (at least relatively) lucrative, you also need to avoid choosing a career path that you hate or are not well suited for. Getting to know your strengths, weaknesses, talents, and personality type will help you to choose a major that you will naturally excel in.

What is a Good Reason to go to University?

Going to college is a good idea for people who already have a specific career that you know is right for them. Some people don’t have a specific career in mind. They are torn between a couple of different careers. There is no shame in having trouble deciding what you want to do. Try taking some jobs, internships, and volunteer experiences that will help you figure out what you want in life.

Going to college is a good idea when you have carefully thought out how long it is going to take you to pay your student loans, and how much the payments will be. This is something you need to look at carefully with the help of a financial advisor. People are taking on almost $40,000 in debt, which is a huge commitment. 

Going to college is a good idea if you can focus on achieving a GPA higher than 3.5. Going to college is worth it if you are going to be obtaining skills that are in high demand.

Will Going to University even get me a job?

Most college graduates end up doing something different from what they studied in college. While this is not necessarily always a bad thing, it shows that the skills we learn in college are not necessarily the ones we will need in life.

How to Earn an Income While in School

If you are a college student, the first thing you need to do is to investigate work-study programs within your school. These are the most ideal. There are opportunities within the university for students to make an extra buck. You can ask for a job at the library, as an office assistant, or as a research assistant/transcriber for your professor. If you are a good student, you can become a tutor who is sponsored by the university.

Students who are good at creating Art can sell their craft pieces online on Facebook, Instagram, or Etsy.

Students should investigate getting summer jobs like working as a camp counselor. Working as a camp counselor is good because you get accommodation and food in addition to your pay. 

If you live near residential areas, consider getting a job as a high school tutor, a babysitter, or a pet sitter. Getting a job off-campus is good if you can balance it well with your studies.

Starting a business is an excellent idea for a student. Think about it. You are young, you have plenty of time, and you have very little to lose if the business fails. This is the best time to try out your entrepreneurial ideas! Who knows? You might end up as the next Mark Zuckerberg.

In conclusion, going to college is not necessarily a bad idea. You just need to think carefully about why you are going to college, what it is going to cost you, and what you are going to get out of it.