Studying vs. Working, What Are The Pros and Cons 

This is not an easy decision to make as it is a life-changing situation. You will invest a great amount of time and effort in doing either, so you need to think about it carefully. To help you make the best decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of both. This article would show you just that.

Let us first talk about the pros and cons of working. In most cases, this is the path taken by students who see the income opportunity as too great to pass on that it outweighs the benefit of studying. 

Career Growth

When you start working earlier, it gives you more time to gain experience to learn the ins and out of your chosen career. Eventually, this experience would help you move up to seniority status, where you can get better benefits and compensation. The sooner you start, the sooner you can reap the fruits of your labor.

One of the benefits of working against studying is that you don’t have to worry about paying for your tuition. With the money saved, you can then allocate it to other investments that can yield certain profits at a given time. You also don’t have to worry about repayment of student loans and exclude yourself for becoming one of the students defaulting their payment which is negatively affecting the economy.

On the other hand, education is not a really bad investment. Most companies prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree when it comes to hiring people. You might be enjoying a steady job today, but you never know what can happen in the future. Being a degree holder can give you that sense of security and that advantage if ever there is a need to apply for work.

Now that we have discussed the pros and cons of working full time, let’s talk about the opposite end of the spectrum. So what are the pros and cons of studying?

Salary Potential

This is one of the reasons why many people invest in their education. Having a bachelor’s degree opens up more opportunities to get a higher-paying job. Most upper management positions require you to have a bachelor’s degree, and everyone knows that the higher your position in the company, the better the compensation is. 

The downside with this is that you have to consider that you will be spending money first before you can even have the chance to earn more. This is why most people struggle to make that decision. It is because some are financially incapable of pursuing their studies as they have limited means and can barely survive their day-to-day living.

Networking Opportunities

Another advantage of studying is that it allows you to expand your network more as you get to meet people. This can eventually help you during your career growth. It allows you to interact with future professionals that would soon go to different industries. Again, this can contribute to expanding your network. It also allows you to tap on your alumni community which further provides you more networking options. 

On the downside, building a network still depends on your ability to develop a strong relationship with other people. You may have access to a pool of potential networks in school, but if you don’t interact with them, then you won’t be able to establish a connection. Going into school does not guarantee an increase in connections; it just opens an opportunity, and it is up to you how to utilize it.

So which is better? Is it advantageous to work or to study? Both have their positive and negative sides. But at the end of the day, the decision would boil down to your current status and your mental state. Can you afford to go to school? If in case you need to take a loan, are you ready to be in debt and pay off after graduating? Are you willing to sacrifice a few years of your life in order to have a better job opportunity in the future?

If you can do all of these, then study. Your short-term sacrifice would be outweighed by the benefits that you can reap in the long term. It can be hard now, but you can be thankful that you took that leap today.