We’re all taught that education is the key to success, but most of us don’t understand why until later in life. The reason education seems to be so important later on in life (and not so much when you are in elementary school) has to do with the foundation of your life it provides. While you may not realize it now, your education will directly impact every single aspect of your future, from your career and relationship status to where you live and how much you earn.
Preprimary Education
Young children need education to ensure that they’re ready for school and life beyond it. One way to help kids get off on the right foot is through preprimary education, where students receive early exposure to foundational skills such as numbers and letters. Preprimary programs are an excellent option for young children who aren’t quite ready for a full-time classroom setting sgroupp. By integrating hands-on learning into their programs, they can ease kids into academic settings while helping them develop social skills that will come in handy later on. Many options are available, but regardless of what you choose, be sure that it’s aligned with your child’s needs—it should focus not just on scholastics but also on emotional development and growth.
Primary School
By setting solid foundations in our primary school years, we give ourselves and our children an opportunity to build strong self-esteem, critical thinking skills and valuable social competencies. Your child can begin developing these competencies from as young as two years old! Encourage creative expression through projects such as finger painting, block building, music and art activities – these activities promote children’s sense of autonomy and feelings of competence (two factors highly correlated with children’s future achievement). Learning comes naturally to kids, but all too often parents lose sight of their natural enthusiasm for learning once they enter formal schooling.
Middle School
Getting into high school is an important milestone and it’s also when you start making choices that will have a lasting impact. The next four years of your education are crucial in laying down a strong foundation for your future. You’ll also be around peers and teachers who can guide you through some tough decisions, like whether to join student government, get involved in sports, or take advanced classes. As important as academics are, they should be supplemented with opportunities to grow emotionally and socially. By taking on responsibilities like running for class office or organizing an event with friends, you learn what it takes to work with others toward a common goal—and that can benefit you well into adulthood.
High School
Only 27 percent of high school graduates earn their diplomas on time. Students who take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school are 50 percent more likely to graduate from college. Even taking just one AP course can improve your chances by 12 percent, according to Harvard University researchers. If you’re interested in getting a head start on earning credit at college, do your homework and consider taking AP classes while still in high school. You can even take online AP courses with EdX—without stepping foot into any classrooms! With over 30 courses available today and many more coming soon, there’s something for everyone. Check out edX or these other free online colleges to start planning ahead and boosting your college resume now.
Higher education
More than 40 million students are currently enrolled in higher education, up from about 23 million in 1990 and 11.7 million in 1970, according to an Education Week report. And despite ever-increasing tuition costs and student loan debt, more than one out of every three U.S. high school graduates enrolls in some form of post-secondary education within six months of graduating (more if you include community college). There’s never been a better time for prospective college students—or better advice on what to look for when picking a school to attend. What should you consider?
Advanced Research Institutes
In today’s world, business and research go hand in hand. For some companies, research and development (R&D) budgets make up more than 10 percent of total revenue. But what exactly does R&D encompass? It starts with identifying gaps in your product lines or services that need filling—and often enough, those gaps are outside what you consider your core expertise. For example, for many companies, going outside for expertise in manufacturing is not as easy as just making an internal call; when you look at outsourcing R&D overseas or to another company in another city or state, people tend to start panicking about intellectual property and other legal issues.
Technical Institutions
In medical school, you’ll rotate through internal medicine, pediatrics and other specialties to help you learn about different treatment approaches. You’ll gain skills in history taking, physical exams and diagnosing illnesses. Beyond specific courses and rotations, residency will teach you how to lead—and manage—the people working with you. Physicians are responsible for running a team that may include physicians, nurses, social workers and counselors. After residency training, some doctors complete fellowships in specialized fields such as surgery or psychiatry before entering private practice as specialists. Others choose to focus on family medicine in small community practices after their training is completed.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centers
Formal education should not be limited to just classrooms, and technology can serve as an important supplement. ICT centers provide students with space, tools, and resources to use for developing advanced skills in areas like robotics, gaming, digital storytelling—even designing their own apps. Plus these centers are typically open after-hours or on weekends so they give kids a chance to explore and experiment on their own schedule. And it’s not just about giving students something new; it’s about giving them something that can better prepare them for what lies ahead. After all, many jobs that require post-secondary education also require computer skills—and knowing how to build an app is far more impressive than knowing how to use Microsoft Office Suite.
Diploma Programs and Trade Schools
What’s Best for You? High school is one thing, but if you plan to continue your education after high school, you have some important decisions to make. It used to be that everyone went off to university right after high school. Today, however, many people choose to go straight into a job or pursue vocational training at a trade school or technical college instead.
Residencies
In an ideal world, new physicians would have years to accrue experience and slowly transition into their chosen field. Unfortunately, medical residencies are designed for doctors who already have an education—and often involve months or years of separation from family and friends in return for learning how to perform life-saving surgeries and procedures. If you’re interested in going into a specific field, consider pursuing further studies before entering that particular residency program. For example, if you want to become an OB/GYN but don’t have an MD yet, consider applying to optometry school first.
