We’ve all heard the spiel about how much a college degree is worth and how much more money college graduates make than their high school counterparts — 84 percent, or $1 million, more on average, according to Georgetown University research — but a college education is worth more than the sum of its cents.

New research shows that in addition to raking in more money over their lifetimes, people with at least a bachelor’s degree are also more likely to describe themselves as happy, have more job security and have lower rates of unemployment, which makes sense if you think about it. More credentials, better job, more security. Not to say that college is the key to happiness, or suggest that those who don’t choose the collegiate road can’t be happy or are some how less than. But for those of us who are here now,

And though a lot of the time the workload seems impossible, and the job market looks bleak and student loans start to make you wonder why you ever went to college at all, it is still too easily forgotten that we’ve got more opportunity ahead of us than a lot of our parents ever dreamed of; more resources at our disposal, more outlets for expression, identification and growth.

College is about more than leveraging classes, jobs and internships to boost your resume — it’s about the experience. Yes, all students pay a premium to attend college, but the friends you make and experiences you have over your four (or five, or six) years in school are the bonus gifts that accompany your degree purchase.

College is too expensive — that’s the unfortunate truth. We may not be able to control the present, but the future? The future is up to us. Having a degree is loaded with the potential of having the kinds of jobs that help dictate things like tuition increases, funding models and finding solutions to making college more affordable and accessible. Chin up, GVSU. It’s only four years — if you think that it’s worth it.