Why is it important to study?

I am sure that everyone, at one point or another, asks themselves the questions: Is it worth to study?? Isn't it better to start working, instead of studying?? Is it worth to waste sometimes over 5 years of poring over books?? To answer them we need to think about our reasons to study and what do we expect? These answer appear most often:

• For pleasure
• For personal development
• To gain qualifications required to ensure ourselves and our family financial means for better life.

People, who believe that studying equals pleasure, do not often understand that studying is connected with stress, personal sacrifice and hard work. If we choose the course of study which is interesting to us and engulfs us to the point that information contained in the books are not enough for us, then studying will undoubtedly become a great pleasure. Then the studies become a place for a lazy and interesting life, where work turns into pleasurable enlarging of the knowledge within the subjects which are of interest for us. In addition, it is mobilising when you realise, that the teachers at the university are experts within their respective areas. What is more, it is not only studying that makes a living. The great advantage of studying is contact with people of similar interests. In this way you can meet outstanding people, who stay your friends or co-workers for the whole life. You can easily say that you can study for pleasure, and for sure studying is pleasurable, but there is one condition: the topic of the studies needs to be our hobby and passion. Many students, who perceive their studies in such a way, decide to stay at the university, and pursue a career in academics.

As far as the personal development is concerned, the studies are ideal to improve your self-confidence and develop creativity. At the moment a student after a few years of studying is not only richer by the knowledge within a certain area, but also his viewing of the world is completely different. Due to various students' programs , such as the EU Socrates-Erasmus, Leonardo or Work & Travel, students have the opportunity to exchange experiences with students from other countries, as well as undertake employment in companies abroad. The possibility of personal development is enabled also through various scientific, research or sport sections, which are active at almost every university.

Another reason for commencement of the studies is the belief that a diploma of higher education institution will open them the door to the career and to better life. There are many professions, which may only be performed with the higher university title, such as doctors, lawyers or notaries. In such cases the studies, which are usually very demanding, are a must. Often in the course of studying people realise that their dream profession from their younger years is not for them and they resign from their studies and choose another profession. If their interests lie within research or they would like to become a priest, there is no other way than to complete studies. Nowadays it is difficult to get a well-paid job without a university diploma. There are areas, such as the Hi-Tech sector, where the diplomas are not formally required, but it is good to have a university diploma while applying for the job. The situation looks similar in international consulting companies 99% of the staff are university graduates. Just as in the European Union or national administration possessing a diploma will be a requirement for the dream position.

However, if you want to work in the professions not listed above and you expect high salary, you have to bear in mind that higher education is required. Private companies employ people with higher education diplomas as assistants. Studies are a must. For people, who apply to higher positions such as a manager or a specialist, the diploma itself is not enough. The employer often is interested in the course of the studies, how the free time was used by the potential employee. Therefore finding a job nowadays is strongly influenced by what you have done in your study-free time. Employees often ask about exchange programs or scholarships in the country and abroad.

Of course there are people who have never undertaken any studies, or who have dropped out of the university and they achieved a great success, just to mention Steve Jobs, the owner of Apple, who dropped out of the university to found one of the biggest companies in the world. I do believe that this guy is one of the phenomenal ones, who has managed to use those few months of studying to squeeze the most precious things from them that is creativity, friendships and contacts, as well as the outlook on the world, without which he would not have succeeded.

The answer to the question Is it worth to study?? may be only one: Yes, it is! It is worth to use these few years to studying and engage in the student life, as it is bound to bring results in the future.