The title “lifelong learner” is an alluring one.

It has a nice ring to it, casting you as someone who is interesting because you are interested. And the learning doesn’t even have to mean much. You can say it after receiving a diploma or after trying a new kind of ice cream. But more often than not, when it comes to learning and education, an institutionalized one is called to great importance. It seems that the only time the lack of an education is deemed positive is when someone who dropped out went on to become a successful businessperson/philanthropist extraordinaire.

There were many reasons I wanted to attend college, and among them was the wealth of opportunities while attending and upon graduation.

But what happens after that?

I’ve been looking into grad school, but more so because I’m more interested in the logistics rather than actually attending. I remember taking a class called Building Your Future in high school that presented an infographic detailing the kinds of jobs that would come from getting a better education. The text “High School Dropout” had an accompanying picture of a miserable-looking man bagging groceries. I don’t entirely remember what the “Post-Undergraduate” picture was, if there even was one. But I do remember the communicated idea: Learn more and earn more.

But at what point is it not worth continuing with a post-secondary education?

Getting a graduate degree in a hard science means that one’s average yearly salary increases by $30,000 as opportunities for a higher pay grade job open up. Getting a graduate degree in a communication or the arts, however, earns a $3,000 bump.

A quick Google search says that grad school on its own costs between $30,000 and $120,000. So what compels people in the arts to spend $40,000 on an education when it can take 10 years to re-earn that money?

There is a chance that your place of employment pays for employees’ master’s degrees. Since this column is based mainly around weighing the pros and cons, and one of the biggest cons is the cost, I won’t touch on this but just say: GO FOR IT.

For my advanced creative writing class we were assigned to read a piece written by famous TV chef Anthony Bourdain. He spoke to aspiring chefs who have the drive to go to culinary school and hope to be elbow-to-elbow with the most legendary cooks. And he certainly sees the value in schooling; his alma mater is a prestigious culinary school, but he claims that he has far too often watched “the dream die.”

He says that people let the puppy love of their dreams cloud the fact that they are entering into a business. Their ambition may be never-ending, but their pockets sure are. There are many ways for people to learn, and the question is, at what point is forking over thousands of dollars to sit in a lecture hall not worth it?

I have learned a lot in lecture courses. I am not dismissing them, but I’ve come to realize that a lot of what I’m interested in learning about doesn’t require a classroom and a chalkboard. Having a degree makes things official, but I don’t think that it represents a complete form of education. And people know that, but the self motivation it takes to self-teach that which would be equivalent to a degree is staggering, and on resumes it would fall under “interests” or “additional expertise.”

But at a point it does seem like real-world job experience serves you better than a traditional institutionalized education, at least from a financial standpoint. And at some point this financial standpoint is a key deciding factor, which is a discouraging handicap for those following their dreams. But even if you can’t bolster a Ph.D., there is plenty of experience waiting to be had, you don’t have to cut yourself off from learning.

A diploma seems paramount when it comes to learning, and if you disagree with that, then chances are that you are already on the right track. A passion and ambition powerful enough to educate someone outside of the classroom is a noteworthy one, and it is important to recognize which option is more sound for you.

Jeffrey Langan can be reached at lang5466@stthomas.edu.