Good Reasons to Get a Degree

Being passionate about a specific subject or topic is the best reason to pursue a degree. At university, you can concentrate on this area of interest, learn more about it, and meet like-minded people.

In order to practice some professions, you have to hold a degree. So, if you want to become a teacher, psychologist, or lawyer, for example, you need to complete a degree program. 

A degree usually qualifies you for more than one profession. Obtaining a degree shows that you possess knowledge in a particular area, which opens up a variety of career options.  While this makes you more flexible, it also means that you need to use your own initiative, show commitment, and have a plan.

Through studying, you do not just become an expert in your field, you also learn important transferable skills like how to work in a team, deal with stress, challenge things, and understand complex connections.

Statistically, academics are one of the groups that are least impacted by unemployment. More on this in the statistical surveys of the Federal Employment Agency (in German). In many fields, academics are also paid significantly more than people with a vocational qualification.

A bachelor's degree program usually takes six semesters, or three years, to complete. This is just as long as most vocational training programs. With a degree, you can start your career immediately.

Seeing the world while you study? No problem. A semester abroad is possible, and even mandatory, in many programs. The University of Mannheim is partners with 450 universities around the world.

A university is a research institution. New findings are discovered through research projects that focus on a variety of topics. These new findings are then taught to students. Universities can confer doctorates and appoint professors. So, students wanting to pursue a career in academia should choose to study at a university.

At a university, you can often choose from a wide range of subjects and subject combinations. Campus is a mix of students with different nationalities who are studying different programs. A university is a diverse and inspiring place to learn.

Studying at a university gives you more flexibility than a university of applied sciences or a university of cooperative education (Berufsakademie), and this is something you must be aware of, and feel comfortable with. Normally, the students of a university have to create a course schedule, plan semesters abroad, select areas of specialization, and write term papers on their own. The examination regulations provide guidelines but you determine the details. University teaches you subject-specific information and not how to perform a job. This gives you a lot more flexibility when choosing your career after graduation.

University and work experience can go hand-in-hand. Since the Bologna reforms came into effect, university education has become more practice-oriented. Nowadays, internships are an important component of many programs. The schools also give students support as they transition from university into the workplace. Seminars on interdisciplinary soft skills, such as time management or presentation techniques, prepare students for their subsequent career and are an established part of the course schedules for the various bachelor’s programs.

Initiatives and student organizations, politics, parties, sports – at university, students debate, discuss, demonstrate, have fun, relax, eat, drink and laugh. Things keep moving and changing, and new movements are born. Something always happens when young minds come together.

You can study some subjects, such as Law or Teacher Education, only at a university. So, if you want to study one of these subjects, your decision is a lot easier.