Why College Education Is Still Valuable Both Figuratively And Literally

 

Education has been considered as one of the main pillars of democracy and citizenship in our nation, which paved the way social mobility as well as national prosperity. The fact is higher education not only opens minds, it also opens doors. However, currently high school students and their parents are now questioning the value of education. Do you think it is still worth to invest in a college education? The answer is an obvious “yes” as a college degree certainly pays off in terms of return on investment.

College education is valuable

A number of studies and data reveal that there are excellent economic benefits of a 4 year college education. During their lifetime, graduates who pass out from colleges usually earn around 60 per cent higher that those who skip college education. This can amount to more than 1 million dollars. Finishing college can create a greater impact on young women in terms of their earning power. If you are a female college graduate with a bachelor’s degree between the ages 25 and 34 years, then expect to earn 70 per cent more than if you had only finished your high school diploma. 

Studies also found that college graduates usually lead better and more active lives. They tend to vote and volunteer more often with a higher probability of owning a home. College graduates are often healthier and have less probability of being a smoker by 17 percentage points. Moreover, their children also have higher probability of going to college as well. Higher education motivates individuals to be more engaged as citizens and live longer and healthier lives. These are undoubtedly some great reasons to study and earn a college degree.

College offers many benefits

However, there are many other benefits of going to college that are difficult to measure, but are equally important and add value to your life. Let's take look....

It can take you to new heights

Higher education is often a passport to exploring your curiosity and new ways of thinking. You can learn new languages, learn about new cultures, learn about topics that interest you and even understand yourself differently.

It enables you to meet new people

College students usually learn by communicating and interacting with various

types of people, whether it is inside the classroom or outside. You can discuss various topics with your teachers or fellow students. You can even join various groups and communities that share similar interests. This will help you understand a wide array of viewpoints and engaging with different people.

It will teach you the value of slowing down

In this digital age, speed and connectivity have gained exceptional importance. However, in the rush to communicate quicker, we forget to think clearly as we strive to maintain pace with our devices. College education teaches you the virtue and importance of slowing down, think through by processing information and using insight for better understanding. It encourages critical engagement, reasonable skepticism and the desire to educate yourself.

The bottom line

In the ways mentioned above and many others, the education provided by colleges and universities empowers students to explore, understand and view themselves differently, offering them the ability, space and authority to imagine various novel and innovative possibilities.

What are your thoughts on college education? Feel free to let us know by adding your comments below.

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How Educational Development In Nigeria Is Now Becoming A Reality

Nelson Mandela once famously said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I believe this why now there is a stronger need for us to focus on developing the Nigerian education system. A lot has already been said and written about the problems and challenges faced by our education system, but I think now it’s time that we concentrate on the positive efforts undertaken by the government, organisations and individuals to extend the reach of education and help our students learn.

Hence, here I am going to talk about the obvious challenges faced by the education system in Nigeria and how everyone is striving to better the scenario. Read on....

Struggling With A Polluted System

As an educationist and a researcher, I have visited various schools throughout Nigeria and have generally found the same scenario existing everywhere. Although we are generously gifted with vast natural and human resources, our education system is tormented with issues like underfunding. As a result of this, most schools are left to cope with poor infrastructure and corrupted learning environment. In my experience, I have seen schools facing a lack of adequate classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computers, projectors and other teaching aids. Moreover there is a scarcity of quality educators due to non-availability of training. In fact our schools are further haunted with various vices like child-hooliganism, cultism and examination malpractices.

Throughout my career, I have met many people who think that the disturbing decline in the goals and objectives of Nigerian school system has been mostly caused by the military intrusion into politics. Every time I open a newspaper, the headlines scream at me about corruption and bribery allegations against our educators; students involved in cult wars, rape incidents in campuses, brutal initiation of unwary students to cult groups; campus prostitution supported by public office holders and many more.

But even in this dark and murky environment, I still see a ray of hope for our education system and our learners. The Nigerian government has taken a number of steps to bring education to our grass roots. However, there is still lot more that we need to do to effectively improve the current educational structure.

Empowering Our Youths

Apart from the Nigerian government, a number of establishments have also come forward to boost our education system and provide various development opportunities to our youths. One such company is Airtel Nigeria, which has constantly invested in youth development and created a number of reliable platforms, including Catapult-a-Start-up, the One-Mic music initiative, Airtel Rising Stars, and the Adopt-a- School programme, for Nigerian youths.

Recently, Airtel launched special programme named Catapult-a-Start-up for upcoming Nigerian entrepreneurs. Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, explained the initiative as a solid step in enabling our youths to pursue their career dream and achieve success.

Ogunsanya said “At Airtel, we are passionate about building a community for young talented Nigerians. We know that there are thousands of young people who are blessed with the skills to develop relevant apps, but most of them do not have opportunities to showcase or develop their skills.”

He added “So through the Catapult-a-Startup programme, we will not only be able to identify the talent, but also encourage local content through this initiative...Airtel will continue to go the extra mile to empowering them to succeed in their respective endeavours.”

Earlier this year, Airtel Nigeria introduced the Airtel One Mic programme which aims to discover young and talented musicians in different campuses across the country. Moreover the organisation has also provided an excellent platform for skilled athletes in the field of football through their Airtel Rising Stars initiative. 

Thousands of skilled players, both boys and girls, are given the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and take part in regional, national and international championships. However, the biggest and most important contribution by Airtel is in the field of primary education. It has associated with the government for the long term development of primary education.

Ogunsanya said “Our Adopt-a-School programme is a robust intervention that thrives on a singular mantra: when we adopt a school, we adopt for life...Schools we have adopted will continue to benefit from us indefinitely.” He continued “Without a doubt, quality education offers children the best opportunity in life to realise their dreams and become the leaders of tomorrow. A great environment is also critical to the development of a sound mind. It is, therefore, in recognition of the importance of education and as part our Corporate Social Responsibility vision that we have committed to the adoption of public primary schools across Nigeria.”

Training For A Better Future

Just like Airtel, the Intel Corporation is also taking efforts to improve the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and boost the Nigerian economy. Recently Intel has provided training to more than 80 undergraduates from Nigeria with the help of their Intel Galileo Board.

The 80 Nigerian students were selected from 8 universities across the nation, including-

• Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State
• Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Kaduna State
• Imo State and the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State
• Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State
• Federal University of Science and Technology Owerri (FUTO)
• Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State
• Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State

Wolf Witt, member of Intel Education Service Corps, explained that the Intel Corporation was dedicated towards the development of engineering and technology in colleges and universities in Nigeria. I found it interesting when Intel Nigeria Corporate Affairs Manager Babatunde Akinola requested the participants to be pioneering and innovative by discovering the various potentials and opportunities offered by the Intel Galileo Board.

He said “Galileo is a platform for you to express yourself. It can spur you to being creative and innovative. There is a wealth of resources on our platform that you can use.”

Taking The Right Step

But as the government and other organisations are trying hard to improve the overall scenario, I think our students also need to be proactive and take the right steps to accomplish their academic goals. But what can our students do at this stage if the Nigerian school system is unable to provide quality education currently?

If you are committed to earn a recognised qualification and start building your career, then I would suggest that you study for an online university degree. Being an educator myself, I was initially wary about the benefits of online learning, but as I learned more I discovered that it is perhaps the best option for Nigerian students.

Why Go Online?

The answer is simple. Online degrees are highly affordable accredited programmes that allow you to learn what you want, where you want at your own pace. This means you can study from your own home and work at the same time without emptying your bank account. You can easily avoid the corruption prevalent in our higher education by studying online as you will not be required to physically visit the campus. Moreover, when you acquire university degree online, you will get excellent job opportunities in various fields as most employers across Nigeria now recognise and accept online qualifications.

I personally believe that online education can give our students the edge they need to compete with others in the global job market. As most online degrees are accredited, you will receive high quality education that will bring you at par with international students.

The Bottom-Line

As we strive to better our flawed education system, we are all aware that it will take some time to get the wheels in motion. Several important steps have already been taken, but we still need to go miles. In the meantime, you should do all that you can to add value to your resume and gain the necessary skills and knowledge. And one of the best ways to do that is certainly online education.

What do you think about the current state of our education system? What more can we do to make it better? Share your thoughts and ideas with us by commenting below. We would love to hear from you.

Online Educators Act As Mentors, Not Lecturers

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Online education has become one of the most popular and preferred modes of learning in the last few years. Numerous aspiring learners are now going online to acquire higher education as well as secondary education qualifications. With growing demand for web-based learning, many reputed universities and institutions are now offering their programmes online to expand the reach of education. But can our students benefit from learning over the Internet? Let’s find out.... 

Making Education Better

 

Being an educationist, I have seen a number of schools, both public and private, modify their operations with the help of online academic tools. Although I am not an expert on online education, but I do believe that all children should have the opportunity to study and learn. I don’t think that online learning is some magical solution to current academic challenges; however it is an important tool which can enable educators to teach students better. 

Helping Non-Traditional Students Learn

 

It is only with the help of education we can reach and educate those students who are incapable of pursuing education in a classroom environment. For instance, those children who cannot attend school for medical reasons can be successfully taught through online learning programmes. Moreover, various other types of individuals, like teenage mothers or working professionals, can earn high school and college degrees and also focus on their personal and/or professional commitments while studying with the help of online education.

Furthermore, online learning has made it easier for aspiring athletes to dedicate adequate time in training and yet manage time to pursue their education. I have known students who are pursuing higher education online while they are training for the Olympics. 

Offering Higher Flexibility

 

I can assure you that traditional education can never match the level of flexibility and convenience offered by online learning. You can earn a high school degree or diploma from a brick-and-mortar school while working or being a mother. With the help of educational technology and online learning, students in different parts of the globe can access high quality education irrespective of their financial backgrounds, location and previous qualification. 

Online education can undoubtedly help various people achieve their academic goals in an affordable way. However it is essential that online programmes offer high quality education and excellent learning experience to enable our students build their careers successfully. 

Is There A Need For Concern?

 

But I believe that when our teachers are taken out of the scenario, we need to start getting concerned about the effects of online learning. Teachers are an essential part of the learning experience and there will always be a need for educators to guide and mentor our learners. 

However, I don’t think this necessitates face to face instruction. It can also be effectively done online via video chats, live chats, email, social media and other forms of digital communication. As a result of this, the role of the teacher changes drastically from purveyor and administrator of knowledge to coach and mentor for students. The focus is now to guide the learners to accomplish their goals, instead of just giving lectures 

Turning Teachers Into Mentors

 

Online educators constantly stay in communication with their students and regularly keep track of their progress. Online educators can check exactly what the students are learning and how they are learning. Moreover, they can easily identify weak students who have fallen behind and help them progress. A traditional teacher will not be able to access such information in a classroom setting. 

As technology develops and the reach of education expands, I believe that more and more schools will implement online learning tools in their classroom by using blended learning techniques. Moreover increasing number of students will also opt for learning online instead of going to a traditional classroom to earn a degree. 

What do you think about online education? Can it help our students learn more effectively? Share your thoughts and ideas with me by commenting below. I would love to hear from you.