If you become a partner through a network there a MANY benefits. I can do Lets Plays legally. You get banners on your channel and above your videos. You finally have someone to contact if you need help with anything (which is almost IMPOSSIBLE if you are trying to get help from YouTube) I got a giant library of music I can use in my videos. Your videos are in the recommended section WAY more since YouTube makes you part of the YouTube Partner promotion when you become a full partner. I have noticed my views have gone WAY up compared to when I wasn't a partner (on average). I can remove all my annotations or add annotation to all of my videos with one single click. No longer do you have to hope for someone to click your ads to make money on your video since it now forces you to watch the ad if you are a partner. So really you are getting paid per view instead of a click.
Trust me there are TONS of benefits when you become a partner. Its not like instant success or anything though but damn it sure makes a difference.