We all know about the obvious benefits to having a college degree—namely, a steady job and financial security. But we often overlook other benefits to higher education: quality of life improvements that deserve to be brought into focus, whether you're on the fence about going back to school or are just having a hard time appreciating the degree you already have.

我们都知道，有份大学文凭显然有好处，它意味着一份稳定的工作以及收入保障。但是，在你犹豫是否继续读书或者纠结是否满足现有学历的时候，要考虑一下经常被我们忽视的高等教育的其他益处：生活质量的提升。

1.Improved Self-Esteem

1.提升自尊

There's just something about a college grad that makes her stand a little bit straighter and a little bit taller. It likely has to do with the boost to one's self-esteem and confidence that comes with making it through a higher education program.

大学文凭有种微妙的影响力，可以让人挺直腰板，抬头挺胸。这可能是因为接受高等教育的经历提升了一个人的自尊和自信。

Studies conducted by the College Board and others like it have found that those who have completed additional schooling¹ are not only more well-equipped to handle mental challenges, but also report a higher level of satisfaction when doing so.

大学理事会等相关机构组织的调查研究发现，一个完成了高等教育的人不仅有能力处理好精神挑战，而且在应对挑战时也能感到高度的自我满足。

2.Healthy Choices

2.选择健康

In addition to the mental boost that comes with higher education, college grads are healthier overall. Higher socioeconomic status （measured by total family income, level of education attained² and professional career status） is directly correlated with better physical health and life expectancy³.

高等教育除了能带来精神上的激励，身体上也是如此，大学毕业生整体上来说更加健康。社会经济地位由家庭总收入、教育水平以及职业地位来衡量，而社会经济地位又与身体健康程度和寿命长短有直接关系。

This correlation⁴ seems obvious when you consider that those who earn more money have greater access to health care and healthier food options. But what you may not have considered is that higher education means the ability and desire to make better choices when it comes to habits—eating and otherwise.

这种关联性似乎显而易见，因为赚钱多的人可以得到更好的健康护理，选择更健康的食品。但是你想不到的是，高等教育意味着有能力和意愿在饮食或者其他方面养成好习惯。

For example, those with extended educations are less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise. When you put greater emphasis on taking care of your mind with additional schooling, you naturally put greater emphasis on taking care of your body, too. It's truly as simple as: when you know better, you do better.

举例来说，接受更多教育的人吸烟的概率更小，健身的概率更大。当你十分重视以高等教育充实思想时，你也会很自然地重视关爱自己的身体。你知道什么是好的，你就会这么去做，就是这么简单。

3.Higher Job Satisfaction

3.更高的工作满意度

While we're on the subject of bettering ourselves, one common reason people seek higher education is to get out of a dead-end job. Having a degree often means having an actual career rather than punching the clock to pay the bills.

在我们谈论关于完善自身的话题时，常提到的追求更高教育的理由是为了摆脱无前途的工作。有学历通常意味着有真正的职业生涯，而不是打卡领工资。

That's all fine and good, you may say, but having a career means nothing if you can't keep it—a task many are finding difficult as of late. Fortunately, a diploma gives you the upper hand when it comes to economy-driven layoffs⁵.

也许你会说，有工作就行。但是有工作而不能保住工作等于白搭，这是最近多数人面临的难题。庆幸的是，一份文凭能在经济萧条裁员时期帮你一把。

Graduates not only have higher job retention⁶ rates during a recession, but also an easier time finding re-employment due to higher marketability than their non-graduate colleagues. That means less stress overall during tough economic times.

经济不景气时，大学毕业生不仅比那些没有大学文凭的同事享有更高的留任几率，而且在重新找工作时更有竞争力。也就是说，他们在经济状况不好时压力不会那么大。

4.Passing on the Legacy⁷

4.教育传承

Finally, one of the greatest benefits to having a college education is passing on the legacy to your children. Children of a college grad are more likely to have a better quality of life and pursue extended education themselves. Those children also have a much easier time getting into good schools because their parents have emphasized the importance of an education to them. They also tend to have better grades and test scores.

最后一点，受过大学教育最大的好处之一是可以将教育传统传递给你的子女。大学生的孩子生活质量可能更好，并且会继续追求更高层次的教育。由于父母重视教育，这些孩子进入好学校也更轻松，并且一般都能取得好成绩。

As experts often state, children of college grads—even those who don't attend college themselves—are more motivated to reach for their dreams. They know that their parents pushed through adversity to earn their degrees, and they apply that same philosophy to going after what they want in life—a bar that is placed that much higher by having college-educated parents.

专家们经常说，大学生的孩子即使自己不上大学，也会更有动力追求梦想。他们懂得父母获得学历的艰辛，他们带着相同的信念去追寻自己的人生目标——为超越父母受过的大学教育而设置的更高目标。