Degree or no degree?

SOMETHING I noticed last year at the height of the quarantine period was that a lot of online businesses started flourishing.

Some of these people did it out of necessity to feed their families, others to take advantage of the growing target market with their new innovations, and others simply out of desire to start “being their own boss”.

Some of these entrepreneurs, especially those involved with food and health equipment, really saw their business boom. It makes you wonder if they even needed their regular job in the first place.

Even before the worst days of COVID-19, people were leaving their 9-to-5 life to pursue their businesses. I had friends who graduated from medical courses leaving their jobs and focus on selling pre-loved clothes or home-baked goodies. Their main reason for this is usually due to low salary.

The money they earn doesn´t compensate for the money they spent in school. This isn’t only something you see in the Philippines; it is also a big problem in the United States. After buying a house, college education there is considered the second highest expense an individual will make in his life. Then when they work they spend most of those years just paying off the debt they owe.

So, with all that said, is the degree worth it? Are the four years or more of pain actually going to pay off when you are working?

Most people are starting to think otherwise. When you look at self-made billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, you will find out that most of them actually dropped out from college and made money by themselves.

With the stress of online classes, dropping out may be a tempting offer to some. Don’´t be in such a hurry to throw your degree in the trash though, it does come with benefits.

For regular jobs, having a degree does give you a higher potential to earn compared to those who don’t have one.

We also start our jobs with at least basic knowledge of what our job description is.

Lastly, you have stronger job stability if you have a degree. Companies will only lay off lower-level employees that don’t require skilled labor in times of crisis.

So, should we pursue a degree or not?

Well the answer may not be as simple as a “yes” or “no”. One thing we need to consider is that success is subjective. Even if you earn thousands from your business in a week your money may not be enough if you have a costly lifestyle. On the other hand, a simple farmworker can afford to send all four of his kids to college if he strives to.

Before you abandon everything, think. SReally think. What do you want to succeed in? How do you want to make it happen?

Your strategy, where you work, and whether or not you need a degree, is all up to you./PN