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1. Higher chances of voting participation
2. More interested in national issues

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Association of American Colleges & Universities

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Strengthening the preparation of active citizens is important first and foremost because the future health of our democracy depends upon it. All too often we take for granted the continuation of America's unique democratic system, and we do so at our peril. Colleges and universities have a large unmet responsibility in this regard. As Brian O'Connell has stated, "No leader or leadership institution-particularly no educator or educational institution-can presume that fostering active citizenship to prolong our democracy ... is someone else's business." (O'Connell 1994)

A less obvious reason to care about the civic engagement work of higher education is student demand. In increasing numbers, today's undergraduates come to college expecting that community service and civic education be part of their undergraduate years (Kiesa et al. 2007). Twenty-seven percent of incoming undergraduates say there is a "very good chance" they will participate in community service-up from 17 percent in 1990 (Pryor et al. 2007).

We are in a period of escalating public criticism about the costs and productivity of higher education. Re-embracing the historic civic education role of higher education can play a part in addressing this challenge-by preparing future community leaders, undeniably an important public purpose and benefit.
There exists today increasing evidence that some forms of civic education also enhance students' academic achievement in other subjects (Lee et al. 2000). Furthermore, improved civic education yields additional benefits to students' personal and professional development. Political and civic engagement encourages ethical development and reflection. Engaged students are more likely to think about other people's needs and interests, about the communities in which they are studying, about the purposes of their education, and about the obligations that come with their privileges. This is especially important now that success in college has such evident financial advantages, and there is such a strong ethos of careerism in higher education.

Campus Civic and Political Participation

A growing number of colleges and universities have developed impressive initiatives in civic and political participation (Brown and Witte 2008). These programs, many of them now reasonably mature and well-established, constitute a growing body of experience to learn from, models to adopt and adapt. Campus Compact, the nearly 1,300-member-strong national coalition of college and university presidents, makes readily available the civic engagement experience of its member institutions, which enroll six million students.

The civic engagement programs of colleges and universities represent a rich array of approaches: community service learning, selective leadership development groups, extracurricular activities, student voice in governance, internships and other external experiences, political research and action projects, bringing in role models, and political discourse events and processes (Colby et al. 2007). These diverse approaches show a broad range in orientation-from community service learning to education for political participation and civic agency. An increasing number of colleges and universities have taken significant steps to bridge the "service gap," to encourage and guide student volunteers to take action on the root causes of the issues around which they are volunteers. At the same time, many ardent volunteers continue to eschew political participation, missing the opportunity to have a greater impact. This reality is a central challenge and opportunity.

Just within the last two years, institutions of higher education have moved into a new zone of financial and organizational commitment to their civic engagement work. Jonathan Tisch's $40 million gift to name the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University was followed quickly by the Lilly Endowment's grant of $40 million to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the Gates Foundation and Duke Endowment's commitment of $30 million for an undergraduate civic engagement program at Duke University, the Argosy Foundation's $13 million gift to support a new Center for Community Engagement at Amherst College, and Barbara and Edward Netter's gift of $10 million to the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Community Partnerships. In the next few years, these gifts will no doubt be followed by others of a similar size, most of them from alumni, to many more schools.

This new level of financial support moves higher education civic engagement work from the periphery to center stage. At the same time, a growing number of colleges and universities have elevated leadership of civic engagement activities within their organizational structures-witness the creation of university-wide positions such as associate vice president for public engagement at the University of Minnesota, vice chancellor for public service and engagement at the University of North Carolina, and associate vice chancellor for community partnerships at UCLA, and at Tufts, the elevation of Tisch College from program within a school, to a school itself, with the dean as peer to all other school deans at the university.

Moreover, after some decades of steady decline in the voting rates of young people, including college students, youth participation in the current U.S. presidential campaign has expanded dramatically. In the 2008 primaries, about 17 percent of the U.S. population under age thirty voted, almost doubling from the comparable primary election of 2000 (Kirby et al. 2008). Unfortunately, among young people with no college experience, only about one in fourteen voted in the 2008 primaries.

Opportunities and Challenges

This growing civic engagement movement-characterized by the factors noted above-provides a series of important opportunities to expand the scale of student participation and impact and to involve more students in political activism as well as volunteering. Political participation should include not only participatory acts (like voting) but coalition-building, analysis of complex situations, advocacy, communication, and organizing.

In this period of expanding opportunity, it is essential to be realistic and strategic about the persistent obstacles and challenges. These include the common bias in academia that public service programming is academically inferior, and concern that efforts to strengthen political participation tend to promote a liberal political agenda and to detract from other educational priorities.

Further, although some students seek opportunities for civic engagement and say that they want to become community leaders, "becoming well off financially" remains a far more common motivation for incoming students (Pryor et al. 2007). Many students have an interest in getting civically or politically involved, but worry about anything they perceive as distracting them from meeting academic or "purposeful" goals (Peter D. Hart Research Associates 2004).

Institutions that compete for under-graduates must emphasize economic benefits. Meanwhile, for many faculty, excelling within their own academic disciplines seems more important than labor-intensive local work with students and communities. Those who are motivated to be civically engaged scholars and teachers often face a lack of rewards and incentives (Gibson et al. 2006, Ellison and Eatman 2008).

Strategies that Hold Promise

The recent experience of colleges and universities that have the most robust and innovative civic engagement programs suggests a set of strategies that hold particular promise for advancing this work throughout higher education. We advocate the following fifteen-point approach:

1. Define political participation and civic agency broadly. This definition should include electoral politics and support the fundamental role of government, and also to support pathways to community change through nonprofit and private sector action (Colby et al. 2003; CIRCLE and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2006).

2. Integrate education for political participation across the curriculum. Involve all disciplines, not only the social sciences-in order to reach more students and also engage the insights and models of more fields of study. We need not only social science majors, but also future engineers, natural scientists, business people, doctors, journalists, and artists who are both competent in their professional roles and also are active, effective citizens.

3. Stop relegating civic engagement to the cocurriculum. Actualize the rich synergies between students' curricular and extracurricular experiences.

4. More fully exploit the educational potential of cocurricular activities. Invest heavily in elevating what students learn by volunteering and through political activity.

5. Demonstrate that programming to elevate civic agency can lead to higher quality education. Political participation is important in and of itself, but proponents can garner additional support by demonstrating its broader educational benefits as well.

6. Involve all constituencies. Administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners all play substantial roles in the development of current effective models. Support collective leadership, and both top-down and bottom-up leadership. Some of the most powerful civic initiatives have been invented and organized by students. Community partners can be great coeducators.

7. Take advantage of student-produced news and information. This rapidly growing form of student democratic participation is one that will grow in its influence on students and on other constituencies as well.

8. Encourage students at different institutions to collaborate. Peer effects are powerful: by concentrating on young people who are civically engaged and academically successful on certain campuses, we strengthen their civic development (Pascarella and Terenzini 2005). However, we also isolate them from much less engaged groups of students and young people, for whom peer effects may be negative. Deliberate efforts should be made to bring young people from different campuses together in civic projects.

9. Strengthen research about youth civic engagement. The further development of this area of research can support, guide and reinforce educational programming. This is a particularly important opportunity for research universities that, with a few notable exceptions, have been comparatively cautious in their civic engagement programming.

10. Attend to the international as well as the domestic context and dimensions of civic agency. Educate for global as well as local and national citizenship.

11. Work for real academic culture change, not just effective programs. Overall campus climate matters; it has a powerful effect on this dimension of student learning (Colby et al. 2007). The twenty-two authors of a consensus report on higher education and civic engagement in 2006 found that individual programs were common and effective, but "few colleges and universities today have thought through an overall framework for civic and political education that is comprehensive, coherent, conceptually clear, and developmentally appropriate" (CIRCLE and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching 2006)

12. Measure student learning outcomes. The civic engagement movement of higher education has been long on rhetoric, short on evidence. Treat the obvious methodological difficulties as an opportunity, not an excuse.

13. Take steps to elevate institutional citizenship, which can only reinforce educational programming. When institutional politics and practices are in tension with educational goals and values, students notice the contradiction and it undercuts their learning of civic values and skills.

14. Advocate for public policies that support this area of education, including financial aid tied to public service and increased funding for national service (highly effective federal initiatives that warrant greater investment include the Learn and Service Program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and community placements in college work-study).

15. Pay more attention to what happens after students graduate. Take steps to reinforce their civic agency in the years after they receive their degrees.

Tufts' Approach

The development of the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University illustrates the value of the strategies described above. The mission of the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, which illustrates the value of the strategies described above, is to educate students in all fields for lifetimes of active citizenship. The prospective result of this ambitious goal is a much greater scale of impact than if Tufts were to concentrate its civic engagement functions in a separate school or center. When the trustees voted in November 1999 to create what was originally called the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, they consciously rejected the "separate center" model and launched a university-wide virtual college. To deliver on this promise, Tisch College has employed an infusion strategy, working as a catalyst and a resource to integrate and elevate civic values and skills across the entire curriculum and across the whole university.

The development of Tisch College has been a process of collective invention by multiple groups-faculty, administrators, student, alumni and community partners. Our basic strategy has been to ensure that a decisive majority of students have multiple experiences-in courses, internships, and extracurricular activities-that cumulate and make active citizenship a significant part of their college or graduate school experience and that become a lifelong commitment. The combined effects of our multiple initiatives and interventions is making active citizenship a pervasive part of Tufts' ethos, an essential part of our institutional DNA.

Tisch College supports faculty in all parts of the university to conceptualize active citizenship in terms that fit their disciplinary methods and traditions. We have had considerable success with a faculty fellows program-two-year, part-time appointments of faculty members from diverse fields, supported to lead curriculum development and engaged research in all schools of the university. The thirty-five faculty fellows program alumni have evolved into the adjunct faculty of Tisch College. Each term, more than one hundred undergraduate courses in arts and sciences and in engineering place significant emphasis on active citizenship values, skills, and knowledge. Graduate programs are implementing the same integrative strategy. A growing number of professors support this effort because they have personal experience that courses that incorporate active citizenship often enhance students' learning of other material. Civil and environmental engineering professor Chris Swan explains, "Students in my soil remediation class started learning the technical engineering content better after Tisch helped me to add a community service project to the class."

In addition, the provost and dean of the college are supporting the leadership of a network of a dozen endowed chairs that concentrate on public service. As we endeavor to inspire and guide the civic development of students, we have been impressed with the powerful impact of several courses that are taught by practitioners-distinguished public leaders who share their vision and experience, and whose role modeling reaches far beyond what even the most activist full-time faculty member can accomplish.

Our student programming features a flagship peer-leadership program for undergraduates called Citizenship and Public Service Scholars-eighty students from a broad spectrum of majors who receive civic leadership training and function as ambassadors and organizers to elevate the civic development of their fellow students. Like our sister institutions, Tufts is experiencing a much-increased student demand for paid public service and social change internships and summer projects. Through Tisch's Active Citizenship Summers and other programs, Tufts supports more than one hundred students each summer to participate in internships and social change projects. Tisch College provides staff, organizational and financial assistance to several student partner organizations, including a one thousand-student-strong undergraduate volunteer service society that is the largest extracurricular group on campus, to strengthen their capabilities and the civic learning of their members. The office of undergraduate admissions, which emphasizes active citizenship in its recruitment materials, reports that Tufts' strong emphasis on this topic has attracted top students who otherwise would have chosen to attend other schools.

Students have initiated a pair of efforts that focus primarily on increasing political participation-a voter registration and education campaign called Tufts Votes! and the Institute for Political Citizenship, a program of policy internships in Massachusetts state government. We are documenting and analyzing the educational results of Tisch College programs through an elaborate longitudinal study that follows students into their initial years after graduating and through other surveys of a sample of sophomores and of all graduating seniors.

Tufts alumni have played a major role in building Tisch programs. They raise money to expand public service internships, mentor summer interns in five major cities, advise on program directions, guest lecture in classes, and provide public service career advice. Local alumni chapters around the world have developed strong service projects and the Office of Alumni Relations emphasizes active citizenship in its programming. Most recently, the university established a Loan Repayment Assistance Program to help graduates of all Tufts degree programs who work in comparatively low-paying nonprofit and public sector jobs to pay back their educational loans.

After initially concentrating entirely on educational initiatives, Tisch College has added civic engagement research to its mission, supporting scholarship about civic learning and citizen participation, and facilitating community-engaged research through the Tufts Community Research Center.

Dynamic presidential and provostial leadership has been a key part of the development of Tisch College. President Lawrence S. Bacow has made active citizenship one of three defining themes in the University's strategic vision. Biannually, in his matriculation address the president gives entering students their first homework assignment: "Register and vote." In order to magnify the college's impacts, Provost Jamshed Bharucha elevated it to an organizational status equivalent to that of Tufts' seven other schools. President Bacow convenes an Annual Presidential Symposium on Community Partnerships and each year presents Presidential Awards for Citizenship and Public to the dozen undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated the most outstanding civic leadership.

References

Brown, D., and D. Witte (eds.). 2008. Agent of democracy: Higher education and the HEX Journey. Dayton, OH: Kettering Foundation Press.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. 2006. Higher education: Civic mission and civic effects. Available from CIRCLE at www.civicyouth.org//?p=210

Colby, A., T. Ehrlich, E. Beaumont, and J. Stephens. 2003. Educating citizens: Preparing America's undergraduates for lives of moral and civic responsibility. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Colby, A., E.Beaumont, T. Ehrlich, and J. Corngold. 2007. Educating for democracy: Preparing undergraduates for responsible political engagement. Jossey Bass-Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Ellison, J., and T. K. Eatman. 2008. Scholarship in public: Knowledge creation and tenure policy in the engaged university. Imagining America, available via www.imaginingamerica.org

Gibson, Cynthia M. 2006. New times demand new scholarship: Research universities and civic engagement -A leadership agenda. Tufts University

Kirby, E. H., K. B.Marcelo, J. Gillerman, and S. Linkins. 2008. The youth vote in the 2008 primaries and caucuses. CIRCLE fact sheet, www.civicyouth.org

O'Connell, B. 1994. Citizenship and community service: Are they a concern and responsibility of higher education? People Power. New York: The Foundation Center.

Pascarella, E. T., and P. T. Terenzini. 2005. How college affects students: Vol. 2, a third decade of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Peter D. Hart Research and Associates. 2004. Key findings from focus groups among college students and college-bound high school students. Washington, DC.

Pryor, J. H., S. Hurtado, V. B. Saenz, J. L. Santos, and W. S. Korn. 2007. The American freshman: Forty year trends. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

Yee, J. A., E. K. Ikeda, L. J. Vogelgesang, and A. W. Astin, 2000. How service learning affects students. HERI (Higher Education Research Institute), available from the National Service Learning Clearinghouse, www.servicelearning.org.

Robert M. Hollister is the dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service; Nancy Wilson is the director and associate dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service; Peter Levine is the director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) and director of research, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service-all of Tufts University.

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Educating Students to Foster Active Citizenship

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Strengthening the preparation of active citizens is important first and foremost because the future health of our democracy depends upon it. All too often we take for granted the continuation of America's unique democratic system, and we do so at our peril. Colleges and universities have a large unmet responsibility in this regard.

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1. Lower levels of anxiety
2. Higher levels of satisfaction

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Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand one's emotions and the emotions of other people. Additionally, emotional intelligence empowers people to take control of their emotions and keep a cool head in stressful situations. Such an ability is extremely valuable in every stage of life, including the period of higher education studies. Students with a high level of emotional intelligence are able to take control of their education by being mindful of their emotions and the emotions of everyone who surrounds them. It is easier for them to be more competitive, self-motivated, and emotionally secure whenever they face a challenge, which gives them a considerable advantage compared to the students who have a low level of emotional intelligence.

Why Is It Important?

College students who have higher levels of emotional intelligence can not only be expected to reach better academic results but also to have a more successful social life. They know how to manage their own emotions and to understand and relate to the feelings of others. They are always eager to explore the things they do not know, feel confident about themselves, and tend to be clear-headed. Such a skill, in turn, can help them develop effective communication skills and a strong sense of self-motivation.

Conversely, college students who lack emotional intelligence feel less connected to their learning space, which has a negative impact on their academic achievements. They might find it much more challenging to build meaningful connections with other people and with their fellow students, which means they will not be able to enjoy the real college life.

Developing emotional intelligence can help students increase self-awareness, boost self-motivation, reduce and manage stress levels, learn how to make the right decisions and be empathetic of other people, communicate effectively, and build long-term relationships.

Managing Emotions and Being Competitive

Students with a high EQ (Emotional Quotient) score are able to manage their emotions well and thus can cope with the competitiveness of the modern world much easier. Their emotional intelligence can get them through the toughest circumstances as they are able to adjust to different people, their temperaments, and nature. More importantly, they are able to control their own emotions, which empowers them to make practical decisions.

In practical terms, a student with a high level of emotional intelligence is more likely to land a good job than a student with a low level of emotional intelligence. For example, suppose two of such students meet in the same room where they learn they are both up for the same position, and only one of them can get it. They are put in a stressful situation and are given a task that will test their professional skills and abilities. Depending on the outcomes, one of them will be offered the job. In such a situation, the student with high emotional intelligence will be able to keep themselves composed, focus, and do the task correctly, while the other student might start stressing out and make some mistakes in the assignment, even if they are competent enough for the job.

Having Less Stress and Being Positive

Feeling stressed is not a problem only known to adults, but also students at schools and colleges. Stress can be the biggest challenge on one's way to success in their studies, professional aspirations, or even in personal life. Stress and fear of failure can stop one from doing something new and exploring exciting opportunities. Emotional intelligence helps students manage their stress and be efficient in their studies. The advantages of high EQ levels are particularly noticeable during exam periods when stress is everywhere, and not everyone can work with it. It is also easier for emotionally intelligent students to be more positive as they are able to keep negative thoughts and emotions under control and do reasonable "self-talks" that keep them positive even at challenging times. This positivity and emotional strength make them be good at sympathizing with other students and being able to take care not only of their problems but also of some problems of their fellow students.

Being Good at Communication

Photo credit: Brooke Cagle

College life is very much about communication. One needs to be able to form a social circle to communicate with their educators and potential employers. Emotionally intelligent students usually find it easier to communicate, and they have good linguistic skills. During seminars, they express their opinions and ideas with no hesitation, which also makes them appear to be very confident about themselves and their knowledge. They build new relations easily and adapt to change fast, which means they can survive and do well in different environments, especially when they go on foreign exchange programs and have to integrate into new cultures and societies.

Author: Joy Mayo

Joy Mayo is an experienced academic writer who is working for a chemistry essay writing service for more than seven years. One of the top-rated specialists at the company, she offers excellent academic advice and helps students with college projects.

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How Emotional Intelligence Can Benefit College Students

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Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand one's emotions and the emotions of other people. Additionally, emotional intelligence empowers people to take control of their emotions and keep a cool head in stressful situations. Such an ability is extremely valuable in every stage of life, including the period of higher education studies.

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1. More likely to save money for children
2. Higher chances of having health care for children

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oz "dr. oz" health wellness "weight loss" television weight oprah longevity diet doctor "healthy food" "how to loose weight" "dr oz show"

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Heart surgeon. Empowered millions to take control of their health.

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1.  Higher self-confidence
2. Better leadership skills

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It's a right of passage for most any 18-year-old. By the time you're in your senior year of high school, you've probably already applied to the college of your choice, and summer begins the countdown of your first taste of independence. What you'll find in the fall is that there are many social & emotional benefits of college.

More Health Conscious

Did you know that college graduates exercise more and that fewer of them smoke? By increasing their brain power, students increase emotional development. Because of this, students develop the capacity to make better choices in the long run. Even if you are not majoring in a health-related program, they have learned to make a responsible decision about the health of their body and mind. College will support student ability to evaluate long-term goals. Yes, college students are known for their partying, but come graduation, their social and emotional learning has peaked, setting the stage for the next phase of their lives. They are more equipped to appreciate the value of healthy eating, exercise, and saying no to cigarettes and drugs.

Increased Self Esteem

Even the high school student with the lowest self confidence graduates college with increased self-esteem. Why? Because the school climate in college promotes academic, social, and emotional growth. Social interaction is the key to survival when they're away from their parents for the first time. This allows them to learn effective social skills that, once mastered, opens up a whole new world. The social and emotional learning (SEL) that students get from college is priceless. American Institutes for Research show that students engaged in SEL programs before college have an easier time in college and in the job market; but for those who have not been enrolled in that type of learning program in elementary school, college provides a natural education through social interaction. The effort is collaborative for academic and social behavior.

Increased Self Awareness

Self awareness is another long term benefit of being enrolled in a college education program. Suddenly, a student is on their own and their emotional development blossoms. Students develop a better sense of who they are, and when faced with a choice, will make the responsible decision. Effective SEL can start in elementary school, but often doesn't. Typically, social and emotional learning begin to take places when they are forced to take care of themselves. College is a great learning program to support student development. This is a middle ground between being taken care of by their parents but quite being out on their own. This is where self awareness develops, and this helps the student mature and develop into the adult they are meant to become.

Gain Independence

In the long run, independence is one of the most important things to learn. Being dependent on someone or something does not allow for personal growth, and holds you back. College provides students with the social interaction they need to feel confident on their own. Discerning the difference between friendships versus individuality in high school is exceptionally difficult for young students. When they learn they can do things on their own, and can also develop a network of people to support them when needed, they grow by leaps and bounds. Students engaged in academic social and emotional learning in SEL programs at a young age have a huge advantage. However, the American Institutes for Research reveal that there is a collaborative for academic social growth when combined with going to college. Even those without the early learning develop a strong sense of self, independence, and emotional and social growth from the school climate in college.

Become Worldly

Students who go to college become more worldly. They may not have even left their home country, but being immersed in a school climate, filled with students from different places across the globe, enriches emotional development. In the long run, being worldly provides students with effective social skills that will serve them well in the work force. Social interaction with students from other cities and other countries. Students develop curiosity about different cultures, which increases their social and emotional learning. Living in dorm rooms with people different from themselves will support student enrichment long term. Over time, and throughout life, college graduates will be able to make a responsible decision when it really matters, whether it's about jobs, promotions, spouses, finances, and more.

Good at People Reading

Another academic social and emotional benefit of college is the increased ability to read people. Students engaged in an education program of higher learning are bound to interact with a diverse group of other students. This type of SEL has been documented by the American Institutes of Research. Some states offer SEL programs in elementary school, providing a collaborative for academic social learning which carries through life. The ability to read people helps significantly in all aspects of life, such as interviewing, managing, dating, and more. SEL is a learning programming that can be taught or absorbed through being in the right environment. College is proving to be that environment, producing intellectually smart adults who are also socially and emotionally intelligent.

Gain Networking Skills

College is a person's first real stab at networking. Most students go through elementary school and high school with the same kids, and even if they've moved or went to a new high school, the networking is minimal due to the structure of classes and school climate. College friendships versus high schools friendships are much more layered and complex. In high school, social interaction is limited to lunch and in the hallways between classes, which can stifle emotional development. In college however, students develop social and emotional learning through networking with fellow students in dorms, study halls, cafeterias, libraries, and more. Sometimes there is a couple of hours between classes, depending on class scheduling. This is where academic, social, and emotional education comes into play. It's not in the classroom, but rather on campus. Students engaged in networking can make connections that last for a lifetime.

Master Making a Good First Impression

They say the first impression is the most important. College provides students with long term skills in making the best first impression through trial and error. While students are enrolled in an education program that fosters learning a certain profession, in the long run they are learning effective social skills for making responsible decisions toward how they will make that first impression. Social and motional learning takes place as the mind matures, using its environment as its learning programming. Unlike SEL programs, where social and emotional learning are taught in class to support student growth, there's more of a collaboration for academic and social learning in college.

Aim to Change the World

Emotional development leads to empathy. While we are all born with empathy, it can take a seat on the back burner as other emotions take precedence. Students can be self serving at a young age until they are enrolled in an education program that provides them with the tools they need to excel in social interactions. Students engaged in SEL programs in elementary school learn effective social skills that put them ahead of their peers. This classroom approach of learning programming with academic, social, and emotional instruction can be hugely beneficial, but just by being in college, students are engaged in social and emotional learning without even realizing it. Those who have experienced social and emotional learning are the ones who are concerned with changing the world. Suddenly, their focus shifts off themselves and onto others as a whole.

Experience Greater Job Satisfaction

In the long run, college graduates experience reaching greater satisfaction in life when obtaining the career they are most passionate about. While a degree increases the chances of getting hired for career jobs, having solid social skills serves you better. Getting the job is half the battle. Being able to keep the job is what matters more, and that's all about being emotionally and socially educated. The school climate in college fosters that development, and allows for students to make the responsible decision during crucial times. College students develop an innate ability to read their bosses, peers, and subordinates to help them better navigate the workforce long term. In that way, they can write their own ticket as to which jobs they get, which promotions they get, how long they stay at a job, and so on.

Respect Tradition

For most college students, they are following tradition, easily one of the biggest social & emotional benefits of college. Their parents went to college and set a good example for them to want to pursue higher education. Parents who support student growth offer a collaborative for academic social and emotional learning by encouraging college enrollment. The American Institutes for Research are highly aligned with the importance of social and emotional education, whether in the classroom or through social interaction, such as at college. When a student makes the responsible decision to go to college, they are setting the groundwork for their own children to emulate them in pursuit of higher learning and a higher standard of life. In the long run, that's what it's all about. Living the life that makes you the happiest.

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It's a right of passage for most any 18-year-old. By the time you're in your senior year of high school, you've probably already applied to the college of your choice, and summer begins the countdown of your first taste of independence. What you'll find in the fall is that there are many social & emotional benefits of college.

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1.  Exercise more regularly
2. Live longer healthy lives

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A college degree may do more than help you earn more at your job -- a new study suggests it could also be linked with better health.

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that earning a bachelor's degree after reaching the age of 25 is linked with having fewer symptoms of depression and having a higher self-rating of health.

The effect also held true for people who attained an associate's degree after reaching age 25 and who later went on to receive a bachelor's degree, according to the study.

The finding "provides preliminary evidence that the timing of education is associated with health and advances current research on the importance of attaining at least a bachelor's degree after the mid-20s," study researcher Dr. Katrina Walsemann, of the University of South Carolina, said in a statement.

The study was based on data from 7,179 people who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979. The people in the study were between ages 14 and 21.

According to the College Board's Education Pays report, college graduates also have lower smoking rates than people without a college degree. People with college degrees are also more likely to report regularly exercising -- 63 percent of college grads report participating in "vigorous exercise" once a week or more, compared with 37 percent of people in the same age group who had high school degrees but no college degrees.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the better health was linked with attaining a degree before age 25. It has been amended to say that the better health is linked with having a degree after age 25.

Related

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A Healthy Reason To Get That College Degree

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A college degree may do more than help you earn more at your job -- a new study suggests it could also be linked with better health. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health , shows that earning a bachelor's degree after reaching the age of 25 is linked with having fewer symptoms of depression and having a higher self-rating of health.

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1. Gradates are more open to new ideas
2. Also better descion making when it comes to long term investments

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There's a lot of debate right now about the value of higher education and the costs associated with going to college. Central to the discussion are legitimate concerns about affordability and what students actually know and are able to do with the degrees they receive.

Despite these concerns, ample data - including a recent Gallup-Purdue survey of college alumni - show the benefit college brings in terms of earnings potential and access to quality jobs.

And a new study from the University of Maine adds fuel to the already compelling case for college with this finding: Citizens with postsecondary credentials not only contribute to the economic prosperity of communities; they also live happier, healthier lives.

The study, It's Not Just the Money, authored by Professor Phillip Trostel, finds that college graduates report having "good" or "very good" health 44 percent more than their non-graduate peers do. Further, college graduates are nearly four times less likely than high school graduates to smoke, and are significantly more likely to exercise, wear a seat belt, maintain a healthy weight and regularly see a doctor. Not surprisingly, then, college graduates have a life expectancy of seven years longer than those who hold a high school diploma or less.

College graduates are nearly five times less likely to be jailed or imprisoned than those who have no college experience, according to the report. And graduates utilize about 39 percent fewer government resources, such as emergency assistance and jails, and contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars more over a lifetime in local, state and federal taxes.

What's more, college graduates are the engines of civic movement. They volunteer at a rate 2.3 times higher than those with a high school diploma or less, contribute more than three times as much to charity, and vote and participate in politics at a significantly higher level. Graduates also have stronger participation in community organizations-- schools, service and religious organizations. The culminating effect is stronger, safer neighborhoods. And yes, college graduates are far more likely to report being happy.

The new study adds to a growing body of evidence laying out the case for college. But much of what has been written about the outcomes of higher education to date relates to the economic benefits of high- quality postsecondary learning--the higher wages, employment levels and good jobs that are highly correlated with postsecondary credentials.

The Gallup-Purdue Index, for example, underscores this point with deep analysis of what alumni see as the educational experiences that are associated with having a good job and that lead to workplace success.

Personal well-being and happiness factors -while much less studied than the economic benefits - provide an equally compelling argument for college. Consider that the presence of people with postsecondary credentials translates into stronger, more engaged, communities. That's critical because communities, now more than ever, are the linchpin in our country's future. They are home to two-thirds (and growing) of the nation's population, and drive more than three-quarters of the nation's economy.

Though the case for college is growing stronger, a disturbing reality remains: college is not within reach for all Americans, especially low-income and minority populations. Millions are deprived of the financial and lifestyle benefits bestowed by college, and their communities miss out on the advantages of having a population with high postsecondary attainment rates. That's why shrinking our nation's talent deficit and preparing individuals to meet employer demands is so critically important today.

How do we work together to increase the number of Americans that hold a quality postsecondary credential? One strategy is to work with communities to create a national movement from the ground up.

Cities like Greensboro, N.C., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Dallas, Texas, are working to integrate the city's various postsecondary, business and government resources to find efficient ways of addressing the talent deficit. These examples, and many others, illustrate the idea that these communities are increasingly talent hubs--places where commerce and creativity thrive in ways that impact both social and economic well-being. The work in these cities shows that when diverse partners collaborate to increase postsecondary attainment, they can spark large-scale change.

Higher education attainment isn't just about the money--it's about the people, and opening up the worlds of opportunity that only education can provide. It is about enriching lives and communities, reducing crime, increasing engagement, and feeding the economy with the talent it desperately needs.

Jamie Merisotis is president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, a national foundation dedicated to increasing Americans' college attainment, and author of "America Needs Talent: Attracting, Educating & Deploying the 21st-Century Workforce."

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Want to Be Happier and Healthier? Then Go to College.

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There's a lot of debate right now about the value of higher education and the costs associated with going to college. Central to the discussion are legitimate concerns about affordability and what students actually know and are able to do with the degrees they receive.

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1. this offers Job stability
2.  College gradates usually have higher incomes than those that don't.

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Why go to college?

You have probably asked yourself this question at one time or another. Maybe you are right now.

After looking at the growing price tag of most college degrees and the time it takes to earn them, it's not surprising that you would ask questions like:

"Why should I go to college? Is a college degree a good return on investment and will I be able to pay back my student debt?"

"Will the time and effort I invest in a college degree be worth it?"

"Is college that important? What will college teach me that I can't learn from my job or my everyday life?"

To answer these questions, let's take a closer look at the possible benefits of a college degree.

In a recent poll by College Board/ National Journal Next America,

"Ninety percent of those who pursued higher education immediately after high school said they would do so again-while a majority of those who moved from high school directly into the workforce said that if they could reconsider their choice today, they would instead seek more education."

Going to college can open doors to new opportunities, broader career options, and better chances for personal and professional growth that you may not otherwise find. As a college student, you'll get to experience new areas of interest, expand your vision of possibilities, develop new friendships and networking connections, establish and accomplish difficult goals, push yourself, and define yourself in ways that you cannot imagine.
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So, why is college important? Let's get into the data and statistics shall we?

8 Reasons Why You Should Go To College

1. Potential To Earn More

2. Increased Job Qualifications

3. Greater Job Security

4. Better Living Situations

5. Get Acccess to Career-Track Jobs

6. Larger Social Network

7. Larger Professional Network

8. Be a Postive Influence on Your Kids and Future Generations

What things should you think about when considering college? Find out, here.

1. Potential To Earn More

The Bureau of Labor Statistics research found that, on average, college graduates with a bachelor's degree typically earn up to almost 65% more per year than those with a high school diploma or its equivalent and almost 40% more than those with an associate degree. When we compare national median annual earnings of someone with a bachelor's and someone with a high school diploma, that's a difference of almost $24,000 each year in expected gross income. Don't want a bachelor's? Even an associate degree helps. An associate degree graduate typically earns about 6.5% or $6,500 more each year than those with a high school diploma. That difference starts to add up after a short while.

According to The U.S. Social Security Administration, those who only finish high school are anticipated to earn about $1.54 million over their lifetime, some college to earn about $1.76 million. A bachelor's degree holder may earn around $2.43 million. Add more college to earn a graduate degree and that could increase to about $3.05 million.

2. Increased Job Qualifications

Your potential job options increase with a college degree. About 32% of jobs in the U.S. require an associate or bachelor's degree and an additional 14% require a master's or professional degree. By earning a degree, you automatically give yourself the opportunity to apply for the 46% of U.S. jobs that now require a secondary degree.

3. Greater Job Security

According to employment projections released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, having an associate degree suggests that you may be 26% less likely to be unemployed than those with a high school diploma. By earning a bachelor's or master's degree, this same data says that your likelihood of unemployment decreases even more by between 46-52%.
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4. Better Living Situations

According to The U.S. Census Bureau almost 12.7% of those with a high school diploma as their highest level of education live in poverty. Only 8.8% of those with some college education and 4.8% of those with a bachelor's degree live in poverty.

5. Get Access to Career-Track Jobs

When considering why you should go to college, it's worth imagining what your life is going to be 10, 20, or even 30 years down the road. What do you want your future to look like? Attending college will help you figure out a realistic plan for accomplishing your goals. It will also prepare you with the knowledge and skills you'll need to progress in your chosen career field.

6. Larger Social Network

Attending college isn't just about studying and attending lectures - it will also give you the chance to discover activities you've never tried before, meet people from different backgrounds and parts of the world, support causes that are important to you and explore new ideas, art forms, and cultures. The benefit of learning from your fellow students is also very valuable - the discussions you get into when you're surrounded by people studying different subjects and pursuing different paths will give you new ways to look at the world around you.

7. Larger Professional Network

Attending a good college gives you the chance to make friends and connections, opening doors for your future career. Just how important is networking? According to Matt Youngquist, the president of Career Horizons:

"Most jobs aren't posted or advertised publicly.... At least 70 percent, if not 80 percent, of jobs are not published... And yet most people - they are spending 70 or 80 percent of their time surfing the net versus getting out there, talking to employers, taking some chances [and] realizing that the vast majority of hiring is friends and acquaintances hiring other trusted friends and acquaintances."

It's never too early to get started networking and you're more likely to get career help and advice from alumni and other professional contacts while you're still a student. You'll also have the opportunity to apply for internships or join professional groups and organizations that may be more available to you as a student or alumni. If you make connections while you're in college, you'll find that you have a great collection of friends and professional contacts to help when you're searching for a job.

8. Be a Postive Influence on Your Kids and Future Generations

You may not have kids and they may not be in your picture for another 5-10 years. But, whether you have your own children, have nieces or nephews, or you just want to be a good example for future generations, getting your college degree will help.

A recent poll by College Board/ National Journal Next America found that a parent's educational attainment and attitude toward education is now a stronger indicator of a child's educational attainment than parent's income; parent's income used to be the highest predictor of a child's educational achievements.

Just under 60% of those with no-degree families reported finishing college, compared with almost 70% of those from families with two- and one-degrees. Additionally, 55% of children from two-degree families reported earning a college or postgraduate degree, whereas only 23% of children from no-degree families reported earning a degree.
Earn Your Associate or Bachelor's Degree Online. You May Qualify For $6,095 in Grants!
Just Get Started and Be Flexible

Keeping your options open is recommended and is very helpful. As many successful graduates will tell you, the best-laid plans often give way to more exciting opportunities, and sometimes starting down a path will give you a much clearer idea of what you want to do in the future, even if you end up diverting from that path.

Some individuals who search for reasons to go to college simply suffer from commitment phobia. Don't look at college as a long-term contract that you're not going to be able to get out of once you start. And don't feel like you need to decide on a major area of study before starting college.

College is a time for you to test yourself, explore your interests, see what the possibilities are, and to see what you can achieve. And don't worry, you're not alone. Most other students attending college are going to be in the exact same boat you're in.

There are also a variety of resources, provided by most universities, to help you through college, including academic advisors, professors accessible on campus, tutoring academic support, full-time counseling staff, and more.

While the prospect of attending college may seem daunting, even suffocating, don't forget that you still can live your life and make it an exciting one.

You'll be able to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, join social groups, maintain a job, or even pursue a career while completing your studies. You may even find that college ends up being much more enjoyable and fulfilling than you expected.

Deciding Which College is Best for You

Sometimes when students wonder, "why should I go to college," they are actually just nervous about picking the right college or the right college major for them. There isn't necessarily a "best" college or major. Each college and study area offers a different experience and unique educational opportunities.

Your task shouldn't be to identify the top-ranked colleges but rather to figure out which college is best for you, based on the areas of study you are interested in. Your choice of college will depend on your personal and career interests, occupational goals as well as past academic record. If you're still in high school you should talk with your high school counselor about your options.

Consider attending any open houses provided by local colleges in your area, use the Internet to research colleges that fit your expectations and requirements, and contact individual colleges to speak with their guidance and admission counselors.

Sometimes larger, prestigious or "Ivy League" type universities can seem very attractive. However, you may discover (hopefully sooner rather than later) that you prefer a smaller, less prestigious, community, or church-affiliated college. Bigger isn't necessarily better, especially when it comes to a college education.

When considering reasons to go to college and where you want to go, think about the environments you are most comfortable in. There are a large variety of smaller colleges and community colleges that can provide you an excellent education without the big school feel.

The only way to really find out what you want is to take the time to visit each college campus, take an organized campus tour, meet people and teachers if you can, sit in on a lecture or two, and experience the atmosphere.

You'll get the most out of your college experience if you take the time now to investigate your options and stay open to any possibilities.

It's also important to know that earning a degree from an Ivy League school or private college can be very expensive and there is no guarantee that you'll get a great job once you get your degree.

In fact, there is typically only a marginal difference in future earnings for those who earn their degree at an Ivy League school versus those who earn their degree from another reputable college.

Having Trouble Affording College? Consider Financial Aid

Where there's a will there's a way. If you're really interested in attending college but don't have the funds right now don't get overly concerned. There are several ways to finance your college education.

Financial aid programs include scholarships, grants, student loans and prepaid tuition. At many larger colleges and universities, you'll also find on-campus jobs that offer flexible schedules to accommodate your personal life and studies.

With so many ways to finance your education, instead of wondering "Why should I go to college?", the question becomes - "Why shouldn't I?"

Compare, Ponder, Decide, and Maintain Realistic Expectations

As with any major decision, you'll want to consider all of your options. Compare costs, living and learning environments, and the overall benefits of attending one college over another.

Consider what things are most important on your list of needs and wants and which school can provide the greatest number of them.

As you make plans for your future, be sure to spend some time thinking and writing about what it is you want to do with your life. What do you wish to accomplish long-term? What are your career and future family goals?

Once you start college, have kind and realistic expectations of yourself. You won't be a perfect student and your college experience won't be perfect. It can, however, be extremely worthwhile and life-changing.

While going to college does not guarantee happiness or success, it can open up doors and help create opportunities and options for your future.
Earn Your Associate or Bachelor's Degree Online. You May Qualify For $6,095 in Grants!
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Why Go To College | 8 Reasons Why College is Important

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You have probably asked yourself this question at one time or another. Maybe you are right now. After looking at the growing price tag of most college degrees and the time it takes to earn them, it's not surprising that you would ask questions like: "Why should I go to college?