Thursday's Thought: How Important is an Education For a Writer?

Earning a degree is not as vital for someone who wants to write books as it is for someone who may want to perform surgeries. In fact, many writers do not think it is even necessary to go to college. Yes, it is possible to become a best-selling author without any sort of journalism or English degree. So the question is, how important is an education for a writer?

I believe it all comes down to one's own personal decision; I myself chose to attend college only because I felt as if it was right for me. There are many things to take into consideration—such as the income you'd make as an author, which isn't very much at all. Unless, of course, you become the next Nicholas Sparks or Karen Kingsbury. Most authors who are not best-selling have other part-time or full-time jobs. It would always be nice to have another career you could fall back on just in case the writing thing doesn't work out. One reason I have chosen to attend college is because I personally love learning, and everything that I learn can in some way be incorporated into my writing. I also would like to maybe become a creative writing teacher one day, so it would be nice to have a degree if I ever choose to go that path.

However, I have never believed that college is necessarily for everyone. Many people, after graduating, never even end up using their degree. One reason I was tempted to not attend college was so that I could have more time to write and promote my books; however, I realized that going to college could actually enrich my writing, as well as my life experiences. It is possible to juggle both writing and school. Besides, I know that I still have the rest of my life to write once these four years are over.

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What about you? If you're a writer, are you planning on attending college? If you've already been to college, what was your major, and has your degree been useful?