Quality of life (QOL) is a complex measure that assesses how individuals are satisfied with their lifestyles. A variety of factors influence an individual’s QOL. Acquiring a diploma affects many QOL factors directly or indirectly, making diploma acquisition a significant determinant of a person’s QOL. Successful diploma acquisition can translate into a high QOL in the education, employment, housing, and healthcare dimensions of QOL. However, the positive correlation does hold for leisure and family time aspects of QOL.
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Education
QOL may partly depend on acquiring a diploma because the educated form a highly coveted in-group in contemporary society. Most adolescent socialization occurs through schooling experiences. Suppose individuals do not acquire some form of tertiary education.
In that case, their peers exclude them from the social group, which is the source of a sense of belonging outside the family structure. Feelings of being left behind might cause individuals to experience psychological stress that may lead to low life satisfaction, negatively affecting their QOL. In this context, various educational courses and websites could help fill in the gaps.
Access to Many Employment Opportunities
Successful diploma acquisition could improve individuals’ QOL by providing them with access to many high-paying job opportunities. Academic qualifications are a prerequisite for formal employment. Getting a diploma ensures that an individual can access a more extensive job pool than a person with a high school education, which provides a diploma holder with much flexibility in career choice. Furthermore, diploma holders can leverage their education to negotiate better pay. Diploma holders are more content with their professional lives.
Housing and Healthcare
Individuals’ earnings determine the quality of housing and healthcare that they can afford. The higher wages associated with jobs requiring a diploma provide individuals with adequate finances to secure proper housing. Moreover, employer-financed healthcare insurance plans are a common benefit of these well-paying jobs. The high cost of housing and healthcare insurance presents a significant barrier for low earners that are predominantly people without diplomas. The QOL of a diploma holder is drastically elevated because of housing and healthcare access.
Leisure and Family Time
Although securing a diploma exposes individuals to high-income jobs, the competitive nature of the job environment can reduce the amount of time available for recreation and family.
High-paying jobs require the job holders to continuously invest in self-improvement, which may involve completing short courses. Besides, diploma holders must maintain high performance at the workplace to safeguard their positions and accelerate career growth. These activities consume much time, which results in limited leisure and family time that may lower one’s QOL.
In conclusion, getting a diploma can improve individuals’ QOL in many aspects, but the demands of diploma jobs may adversely affect QOL, especially in QOL aspects involving personal time. Diploma holders enjoy a sense of belonging derived from their membership in the ‘educated’ in-group.
A diploma generates substantial wage negotiating power, which increases the probability of receiving meaningful compensation, which is critical for financing housing and healthcare needs. The advantages of securing a diploma come at the cost of decreased leisure and family time.
