Eating a balanced diet. Trusting the science behind medicine or essential oils. Selecting healthy life choices.

Three reasons why you should attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree.
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Wait. What?

If that doesn’t make sense, read A Dying Town by Sarah Brown and Karin Fischer (Chronicle of Higher Education). It is a heart-felt story that highlights the healthy benefits of higher education. I don’t know if you’ve ever considered postsecondary education as being good for your health. I knew it would allow me to establish a career and earn more money, but not benefit my health.

Actually, research has shown this to be true. One of the great benefits of earning a bachelor’s degree is establishing a healthier lifestyle (2016 Education Pays, College Board).
Studies show that college graduates tend to value healthier lifestyles (regardless of age, income, or demographics). Higher levels of education are correlated with better health. Earning a bachelor’s degree also improves the lives of their children (higher cognitive skills, more involved in athletic, religious, and cultural extracurricular activities).

The authors of “A Dying Town” reference research completed by two Princeton economists that show people without a college education “have weaker job prospects, and, faced with declining economic and social well-being, turn to drugs and alcohol.”

While the experts don’t know why, Brown and Fischer agree that “people with more education are more likely to pay attention to scientific reports about health and wellness and to heed their advice.” When you attend college, you’ll learn how to think critically as you write research papers. You’ll learn how to seek answers and ask questions to discover the truth.

In the story, we learn that the cycle of hopelessness makes teenagers “feel that they’re born into it and they’re going to die in it. Many kids simply can’t picture a different future.”

Too many students don’t believe that they can and will earn a college degree. Those students haven’t fully committed with their heart that they can. Guess what? You can go to college! You do have a hope and a future! Working with your school counselor or an educational consultant is the right step to get the guidance you need to plan for your future career and the right fit college.

Selecting a career path and major are emotional decisions. Selecting a college to earn a degree is an emotional decision. Determining how to pay for college is an emotional decision. 

Too many students are not applying to college because they “don’t realize how to apply (or qualify) for financial aid.” While it can be complicated to begin with, working with a professional will give you the confidence you need to make the right decisions.

“Education matters, now more than ever. Get it, and chances are you will have a happier and longer, a wealthier and healthier life. Does going to college lead directly to better health? That’s a question for another day.”

Brown and Fischer conclude that “the college degree is a marker, a dividing line for health outcomes. As the benefits of having a degree accrue, so do the costs of not having one.”

So, if earning a college degree will help you establish a healthier lifestyle, were are you going?

In 2015, I visited the Johnson & Wales University campus in Denver, Colorado. My colleague, Paul Hood-Patterson, wrote this very creative post about what makes attendance at JWU a recipe for success for so many students. 

Read on to learn how this school, known for its excellent culinary programs, might have the perfect blend of ingredients to create your future! 

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Ingredients:
1 Strong Foundation as a Business School
4 Campuses with Internship Opportunities
Several Handfuls of Experience
1 Large Focus on Careers

Directions:
Start with the beginning. First, take a look at the foundation of the school. Johnson & Wales was founded in 1914 as a business school in Rhode Island. From the beginning, the school has been dedicated to business and grew throughout the years from a junior college into a university with four campuses across the country. The Denver campus we visited opened in 2000, and the other two campuses are located in Charlotte, NC and Miami, FL. 

Add in four campuses. Each campus has its own unique flavor. Providence, Rhode Island is still the main campus, but a JWU student may take advantage of opportunities at any campus to further their education and experience. For instance, if you are studying in Denver but want to take an internship in Miami, you can use your JWU connections. This can be beneficial whether you are studying business, hospitality, culinary arts, or any of their programs. 

Mix in several handfuls of experience. One of the things Brett discovered at JWU is an emphasis on students graduating with both a degree and an impressive resume. By graduation, each student should have a great deal of hands-on experience in their desired profession. All programs require students to complete an internship, which allows them to gain experience by working on real projects with real companies.

Sprinkle in the career focus. JWU keeps its main focus on the career goals of its students. The admissions counselor Brett spoke with, Michael, recommends that students declare a major before they enroll. Because of the intense career focus, changing majors could set a student back up to two years. Sometimes the work opportunities available to JWU students can be so good that students leave their studies early to take a job. This is a challenge for the school – providing such great opportunities that they lose students to employers!

Give it time to cook together. So, if you’re hungry for more information about Johnson & Wales, be sure to do your own college visit at one of their four campuses. If you choose this school, you can take their business background, add valuable experience, benefit from their focus on your end career, and let it all simmer for three trimesters a year to create your unique JWU experience.
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Make sure you discuss your goals with a college planning professional so they can help you find a college that fits your own tastes.