How Could the Higher Education Change Our Personal Life?
There is no doubt that higher education plays a crucial role in shaping the personality of each student enrolling higher educational establishments. One should underline that the aim of education is not to produce new employees who would do any job. Its purpose is to help students to develop intellectually, aesthetically, and morally. Moreover, it helps them to become individual human beings. Higher education is defined as an optional final step of the formal study process, which may take place only after receiving secondary education. Education is a process involving preparation for independent life and personal realization. It serves as an essential tool in progress and social change. Taking into consideration the findings of the study, higher education positively impacts the life of any individual, including adults. However, it requires improvements in order to reduce potential problems institutions face.
Individuals who attend facilities of higher education get a wide variety of financial and social lifelong benefits. Baum and Ma state, “Individual students and their families reap much of the benefit of higher education” (8). The authors argue that higher education can profoundly change the lifestyle of a student: starting from his or her income and ending with health and the future of their children. Typical college and university graduates earn about 60% more than high school graduate students. Moreover, graduates who have advanced degrees receive income two to three times higher than high school ones.
However, salary is not the only benefit received by students. Successful students are more likely than other workers to obtain pension and health benefits provided by employers (Baum & Ma 8). The authors underline that the percentage of people stating that they are healthy individuals increases with higher levels of education. For instance, by 2005, approximately 20% of adults smoked while among four-year college graduates the level reached only 9%, and 50% of them tried to quit smoking. Changes are visible not only in the private life of students but also in their children. Baum and Ma note that children of parents with higher educational degrees participate more in various types of extracurricular practices than other kids (24).
Benefits of College for Adults
Another research shows that higher education presents advantages not only to young adults, but also to non-traditional older students. In her article “Strategies that Contribute to Nontraditional/Adult Student Development and Persistence,” Sherry Brown provides research of the learning process of non-traditional college and university students. The paper states that it is the fastest growing group on campuses of higher educational establishments. Their percentage accounts for about 50% of all enrollments.
Brown reports that there are two common reasons of returning to education, which include divorce, especially among women, and changes in society (68). The latter cause involves reengineering, acquisition and mergers of organizations or agencies that affect employment patterns and practices, as well as changes in carrier direction of workers. Changes in the country require skills updating, knowledge concerning market trend situation, and familiarity with contemporary workplace demands (Brown 68).
Lifelong Learning Process
Brown’s study shows how important it is for adults to receive a higher education degree. The author argues that economic, organizational, social, and demographic changes in the professional sphere require the development of lifelong teaching programs.
Higher education offers broad life choices for older learners. Moreover, better health conditions and longer life spans make adults seek for changes in their lives (Brown 69). Higher level of education is correlated with improved health conditions. In 2005, up to 83% of college graduates reported being in good health whereas the level constitutes only 66% among those who did not complete high school (Baum and Ma 21).
The changes in society lead to the fact that adults cannot work in one organization. Therefore, they decide to get higher education degree in order to improve their personal life conditions not only in terms of decent income, but also high level of job enjoyment and broad long-lasting benefits.
Possible Challenges
Despite the fact that higher education improves the social and economic status of people, they should be aware of potential issues that educational facilities must address. Sarker, Davis, and Tiropanis discuss the most evident issues learning institutions face across the world. The challenges include the introduction of new technologies, student retention, curriculum design, quality of research, quality of teaching and learning, investments, as well as improvement of management and governance. The paper states that establishments should reorganize and reformat educational courses, structures, and programs for students of the new generation. Moreover, college and university education should increase the level of student employability by means of involving employers in the academic process. It will help to ensure that curriculum standards correspond to the employer requirements. In short, Sarker, Davis, and Tiropanis argue, “Higher education … institutions should listen carefully to the changing needs and expectations of the society” (2).
The study conducted by Sarker, Davis, and Tiropanis helps to understand the importance of higher education challenges that can decrease the opportunities of college or university graduates. Furthermore, a developed academic course would help to meet the student’s personal goals. If the amount of problems reduces, higher education can enhance personality development and growth of students, including that of older ones.
Conclusion
Through reducing possible challenges institutions face, higher education can change the personal life of an individual, including that of an adult. Changes in economic and social life of the country require alterations in higher educational establishments that shape the personal development and growth of graduates. Understanding the necessity of education can alter inner view of a person towards other people and value of human life, including health, family and interests.
Our trusted research paper writing service is always available to serve customers. We offer professional custom research papers on any topic.