Sometimes, with summer right around the corner and the sun shinning down on us with record-breaking heat, classes just don't seem worth it. For seniors, senioritis might be taking over, making the temptation to skip classes more powerful. For the rest of the student body, graduation might seem too far away to take bother with.

As the year comes to a close, we want to offer our humble advice to all freshmen, sophomores and juniors: Please come back next year. The education you can gain here over the course of four or more years is well worth it.

In spite of the challenges we must overcome as students – juggling work with classes, seemingly insurmountable piles of homework and thousands of dollars in student loans – research shows that, over a lifetime, a college degree is a worthwhile investment.

According to an article the Seattle P.I. ran last year, it is estimated that college graduates make an average of at least $300,000 more over 40 years than non-college grads. This takes into account the money lost to tuition and housing while in college.

Additionally, according to the article, the average inflation-adjusted wages of college graduates is growing at a rapid rate over that of high school dropouts.

This means that, regardless of long nights and lots of debt, the return of a college education more than accounts for any of these difficulties.

In college, we learn much more than just how to solve complex math equations or analyze a passage of literature. The university experience teaches students to think, to argue, to become a part of the global community.

Don't let a bad grade discourage you; keep the GPA up, but remember it's not everything.

Instead, embrace your time at the university. To those students who will be returning, we'll see you next term. And to our graduating seniors, good luck – go conquer the world.