Most people would agree that in today’s world, education is one of the best gifts that a parent can give their child. In fact, education is so important that furthering your own studies might even be the most important gift that you can give to yourself. Not only will furthering your studies give you a competitive advantage in your career, but it will boost your self-confidence and self-worth immensely.

We all hope to be successful one day, whether it’s in our personal lives, or in our careers. And success and self-confidence go hand in hand, because  when you increase your confidence levels, you increase the chance of being successful, and vice versa. You can achieve great things if you feel confident and you believe in yourself.

Here are 3 areas in which studying further can help you boost your confidence professionally and personally:

Communication
Studying further can equip you with effective communication skills. It teaches you to listen to what others are saying, and to engage in a clear and professional manner. Once you learn the skill of communication, you will feel more confident when communicating with people in your workplace, and in your personal life.
Critical thinking and problem solving
Studying gives you the advantage of developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. When you are studying, you learn to form your own opinions and to engage with information on a deeper level. Critical thinking also encourages better problem solving. You will develop the ability to critically compare pros and cons in situations and to come up with more solutions than what you may have imagined. This will come in handy in the workplace too.
Future prospects
When you have set goals for yourself, like studying further later in your life or starting a course for the first time, achieving the goal of completing your course or qualification will boost your confidence in your own abilities and your prospects of future success. You will realise that you have the ability to put your mind to something and accomplish it, and that you can take on more challenges than what you thought you can handle.
The feeling of confidence will give you the positive mind-set that will keep you focused on your goals. When you set goals for yourself as an individual, self-confidence is the magnet that attracts success and keeps you focused, especially when things seem to be going off course or when things become a little challenging. Furthering your studies, whether it is early or later in your life, will only boost your overall well-being. You are never too old or too young to learn.

Learning is an ongoing process, whether it is done formally or informally. And no matter how you choose to go about it, learning new things will give your self-confidence a boost.

Each positive experience in your life is a positive reinforcement that increases your power and gives you internal satisfaction — something that no-one can ever take away from you.

Give your confidence the boost it needs:

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Note: This post was originally published on 5 June 2015, and has been updated for freshness and accuracy.