1. KNOW HOW 2 GO ACADEMY Lesson 1: Why College?
Welcome to the first lesson of the KnowHow2Go Academy. This is a series of eight lessons that will help you navigate the path to education beyond graduation.
In these lessons, we’ll often use the word college. Please know that we are using that word as shorthand. “College” can mean a certificate or credential at a trade school, a two year degree at community college, a four year degree at a university, or beyond. No matter what path you choose, however, you will need to take similar steps to get there.
In this session, we will learn about WHY you need to pursue education beyond graduation.

2. Q: Why should I go to college?
Answer:
Because College = Opportunity
Opportunity: a good chance for advancement or progress
And here’s why…
So let’s start. Why should you go to college?
Because college (or any education beyond graduation) equals OPPORTUNITY.
Opportunity is a good chance for advancement or progress. This can mean a lot of things, and it can mean different things to different people. Let’s take a few minutes to think about what it means to each of us.

3. IT’S WORTH A MILLION BUCKS!
This chart shows that over a lifetime of work, a college graduate makes almost one million dollars more than a high school graduate.

4. MORE EDUCATION = MORE MONEY
More education means more money.
This chart shows how much someone earns (on average) each month, each year, and over their lifetime, based on the amount of education they receive.
ACTIVITY:
Divide into three groups.
Group 1: Professional degree (graduate degree or higher)
Group 2: Bachelor’s Degree
Group 3: High School graduate
Have each group write down how much they earn each month, each year, and over their working life.

5. Why go to college?
In this activity, we will see what each group has to look forward to: what kind of gadgets they can afford to buy, what kind of house they can afford to live in, and what kind of car they can afford to drive.

6. Why go to college?
$550
Let’s say you want to buy a new iPad. They cost around $550. How long do you have to work in order to buy it?
How long do you have to work in order to buy that iPad?
High School Diploma: 7.5 days
Bachelors Degree: 4.5 days
Doctorate Degree: 2 days

7. Why go to college?
$25,000
$400,000
Now you want a car. You really like the Ferrari. There’s also a nice new Mazda. How long do you have to work to be able to afford either?
How long do you have to work in order to buy that Mazda or Ferrari?
High School Diploma: 1 year (Mazda) or 15 years (Ferrari)
Bachelors Degree: 6 months (Mazda) or 7.5 years (Ferrari)
Doctorate Degree: 4 months (Mazda) or 4 years (Ferrari)

8. Why go to college?
$4,000,000
$100,000
How many hours do you have to work in order to buy that house vs. mansion?
You also need a place to live. You go out looking at houses. A regular house costs $100,000. A mansion costs about $4 million. How long will you have to work to buy either one?
High School Diploma: 4 years (house) or 154 years (mansion)
Bachelors Degree: 2 years (house) or 75 years (mansion)
Doctorate Degree: 1 year (house) or 37 years (mansion)

9. Future prospects SHARE YOUR IDEAS
Invite participants to think about the activity and share their reaction about the group that they were in. Invite discussion around these questions:
What does your future look like if you have a Professional Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, or High School Graduate.
How does the future look from your group?
Which group do you want to be in?

10. The monthly budget
Let’s see what life is like when you make minimum wage (high school diploma or less)
The examples we just shared about the iPad, the car and the house did not include other things you might need to buy, or want to buy. The examples didn’t include food, insurance, going to the movies, buying clothes.
Life is expensive. We are going to do another activity called the monthly budget.

11. Based on minimum wage $7.40/hr
The monthly budget
Monthly pay = $1,184
Based on minimum wage $7.40/hr
This exercise is based on the Michigan Self-Sufficiency Report that provides the average expenses for a single person per month. Let’s start out assuming you are working at a minimum-wage job for 40 hours per week. Your gross income would be $1,184 per month. Enter this amount on Line 1
*2000 Michigan League for Human Services Self-Sufficiency Report

12. Taxes -$275 The monthly budget
The first thing that is taken out is taxes. No one enjoys paying taxes, but they support important things that make life better for everyone, like schools, parks, roads.
Enter $275 on Line 2 under Expenses

13. A place to live -$486 The monthly budget
The basic cost for a place to live in Michigan is $486. In the Grand Rapids area, rentals are a little higher, so you have to find a roommate to help with expenses.
Enter $486 on Line 3

14. Transportation to get to work -$347
The monthly budget
Transportation to get to work
-$347
The average cost for a car, insurance and gas per month is $347. There is also upkeep to think about when you own a car as well, and when gas prices go up, you pay more.
Enter $347 on line 4

15. Food -$213 The monthly budget
The average cost for food for one person per month is $213.
Enter $213 on line 5

16. Medical -$92 The monthly budget Doctor/Dental/Medicines per month.
Enter $92 on Line 6

17. Other (clothing, phone; a movie; fun things) -$166 The monthly budget
We haven’t even included anything yet for other necessities and fun things like a phone, clothing, recreation.
The average cost for these things per month is $166
Enter this on Line 7

18. Monthly Income minus expenses…
The monthly budget
Total??
Monthly Income minus expenses…
What’s left?
Now total up your expenses and subtract them from your monthly income on Line 1

19. Monthly Income Minus Expenses
The monthly budget
Monthly Income Minus Expenses
Income= $1,184
Expenses $1,579
--( $ 395)
Actually your expenses are $395 more than what you make at the minimum wage job!

20. Child Care -$534 The monthly budget
We didn’t even factor in expenses if you have a child you must support. The average cost each month to support a child is $534!

21. You can’t make it on a minimum wage job.
The monthly budget
The bottom line:
You can’t make it on a minimum wage job.
The bottom line is that you can’t make it on minimum wage.
You need to think long and hard about what you want to do, and the choices you need to make. Choices today impact your future.

22. Less likely to lose a job
Benefits of College
Economic benefits
Less likely to lose a job
If that’s not enough to convince you, there are even more facts about the benefits of college you need to know.
Economic benefits: notice how the more education people have, the less likely they are to be unemployed, and the more money they make.
Sources:

23. Other economic benefits with a college degree:
Benefits of College
Other economic benefits with a college degree:
Health and retirement benefits
Enjoy their jobs more
Greater sense of accomplishment.
Don’t need welfare.
There are other economic benefits, too.
Sources:

24. Health benefits of a college degree Less likely to smoke.
Benefits of College
Health benefits of a college degree
Less likely to smoke.
Less likely to be overweight.
More likely to exercise.
Healthier children.
There are also health benefits that come with more education. Highly educated people are more likely than people with very little education to practice healthy behaviors.
Sources:

25. Community benefits of a college degree More likely to vote
Benefits of College
Community benefits of a college degree
More likely to vote
More likely to volunteer
Children are more prepared to begin school.
More involved in their child’s education.
Those benefits have a ripple effect to the broader community. The statistics cited here are indicators of a thriving community.
Sources:

26. What are your dreams? SHARE YOUR IDEAS
So it seems pretty clear that education beyond graduation is a good thing—money-wise, health-wise, and for the community. But it’s also a path to help us achieve our dreams.

27. Goals and Dreams Activity
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney
ACTIVITY/DISCUSSION
Invite participants to share some dreams that they have had about their future with discussion questions:
Think back to when you were very young—what did you say you wanted to be when you grew up?
How did you answer that question three years ago? How do you answer it now?
Collect the list of responses on paper or newsprint or chalkboard.

28. What careers match your skills and interests?
What do you want to do?
What careers match your skills and interests?
What are you interested in? What do you like to do? The answers to these questions can help you think about possible careers.
Have participants complete the “Which Careers Match Your Skills” handout.

29. What surprised you? DISCUSSION: Who wants to share their results?
Did anyone have surprising results?
Did your results make you think about something different?
What did you think about these tools?

30. Which careers you selected match the jobs of the future?
Job of the future
Which careers you selected match the jobs of the future?
In addition to your areas of interest, it’s important to consider what jobs will be available in the future.
Review the list of jobs that will be in demand in Michigan over the next five to six years.

31. WhAT’S NEXT?
You will know the way…
You will KNOW HOW 2 GO!