By Jenna Moede

Why spend my time getting a degree? I can’t tell you how many times I asked myself that question in my last semester of school, while staring at quiz questions that I just couldn’t remember answers to. 

I could think of a lot of reasons to give up at the time. Now, that I have earned my bachelor’s degree, I can think of many reasons to get one, especially as a military spouse.

I wanted to finish my degree so I could make a more significant financial contribution to my family. I know I’ve mentioned the perfect picture of life that I had in my head when my husband and I first got married, but it turned out that that picture costed a lot of money. I wanted a job that would compensate me well so we could do all the things we wanted.

My degree gave me my first shot at a job that would move me closer to that picture. I found my job shortly before my graduation, and they hired me with the expectation that I would finish soon. Without my bachelor’s, I would have never had a chance at the job that gave me my first taste of the real professional world.

Not every job that requires degree or certificate will pay well. Looking back, I realize that I started that job at a low pay grade for professionals, but I still felt excited knowing that I had the chance to take a job that required skills and knowledge. 

Secondly, getting my degree opened doors that I didn’t even know existed. I started my professional career as a paralegal.  My business degree translated really well to paralegal work. However, now I teach ESL which has basically nothing to do with business. 

I have found that employers generally are not too concerned with my specific degree title, but they want to see the overall skill set that college has provided me. They want me to demonstrate how I plan to be an asset to their business. My degree might not always be job specific, but it is generally a fulfilled requirement that gets me the interview. 

The next reason to pursue a degree as a military spouse is portability. While I see the negative side to potentially moving at any time, I prefer to look at the positive.  Even without a degree, I would have to job search every time I moved. I just figured I would finish my degree so I could search for more skilled and specialized positions every time we moved. 

I look at it this way, each job I have provides me with valuable experience. If I have to leave a professional position to accommodate my husband’s career, I still have experience and credentials to stand out when applying for new jobs in a new area. 

Finding my passion also motivated me to finish my degree.  Going into college I thought I wanted to study international business. I changed my major twice but I eventually found something I enjoyed. As I struggled to find my passion, I took both general courses and required classes so that I had them out of the way when I did find my path. 

It took me a lot of time to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, and I struggled with finding my passion even while finishing college, but I think that opportunities have presented themselves and led me to a career that I love because I finished my degree.  

Lastly, I wanted to pursue my degree so I could have a sense of accomplishment.  I started college in Michigan, on campus, and I loved it. Online classes gave me an entirely different perspective, and it took a little time, but I ended up enjoying them as well. 

I definitely struggled and I definitely wanted to give up, but I kept looking forward to the moment when I would have my diploma in hand and I could look back and say I did it. 

It was definitely not easy, but it was worth every second of effort. Every time I wanted to give up at midnight after downing six cups of coffee just to finish an essay, I would remind myself of all of the reasons that I started. 

I know that a completing a certificate or degree program as a military spouse comes with a unique set of challenges, but I also know that earning a degree helps to crush some of those daily problems that come with the military life.