Is Post-Secondary Worth it?

Today, our economy is changing faster than ever. We have access to an incredible amount of resources. We are having our food delivered through our app. We send money through our cell phones. Some of our cars are running on batteries. There’s no doubt that education is changing as well. This brings up the classic question: Should I go to university?

I believe post secondary is an excellent plan for some people. I also believe not going to post secondary is an excellent plan for others. Everyone is wired differently. I would advise a young person to go to post-secondary IF their degree will result in a career where they can earn money. Examples of this include: engineering, nursing, teaching to name a few.

Alternatives?

Education is vitally important. One of my favourite quotes is from Mark Twain: “Don’t let schooling get in the way of your education.” If you choose to not go to post-secondary, then what are the other alternatives? There are lots. Here are a few:

Do an online class online of something that will give you a skill. Example – Udemy
Read. Sounds boring. But reading something that interests you will grab your attention
Connect online with people who are doing what you want to go. Example – if you want to start a pet grooming business, connect with everyone online who currently has a pet grooming business.
Travel – Travelling provides tremendous perspective. Caveat to this: It’s a good idea to have a plan of attack for your life upon your return. Years and years of full moon parties in Thailand won’t lead you to tremendous opportunities.

4 Years – $25,000

Personally speaking, I went to post-secondary and got a Bachelors in Business Administration. Looking back at this the best things to come out of this 4 year time investment:

Learning how to speak in public by way of giving presentations.
A basic understanding of how a business runs and contributes to an economy
Met a recruiter who gave me an opportunity to run a student painting franchise

Was this worth $25,000? It’s arguable for the first two. The experience that was worth much more than this was running my student painting company for 4 years. This is a story for another time. My opinion is that the majority of business should be taught in the real world as opposed to a classroom.

Opportunity Cost

What are you giving up / foregoing by attending 4 year in university? Your income during this period will be significantly affected. Education is an investment, but you have to ask yourself if giving up full time work during this period is worth the education.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, you will be compensated through your job based on your SKILLS and the VALUE that you provide to the economy. If you’re young and your education is not equipping you with skills, I would be very cautious on paying $20,000 – $100,000 to obtain your degree. The questions we should be asking are: What interests me? And how can I acquire those skills that I need?