Is College Worth It?
Photo Credit: Johanna Mohrs
"You don't have to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream." - Michael Dell
I remember in my junior and senior years of high school, I was constantly contemplating college and whether or not it was worth it for me. After two years of worrying about this question I sucked it up and attended the University of Vermont almost entirely on loan. I figured, while it may be a gamble if I was this doubtful, I should find out first hand whether or not college was going to be the right decision for me.
Like myself, many high school students have to face this question when it comes time to prepare for graduation; even some college students face this question when it comes time to set-up their schedule for the next year. It's not an easy question, through your life you'll often have people trying to guide you but often there aren't options presented for you to examine, but rather these guides will tell you you have to go to college. It was a phrase I personally heard all through high school, "If you don't go to college, you won't go anywhere in life." I thought this was pretty severe, I personally have known plenty of people who didn't go to college or dropped out and are still extremely happy with where they are and some are considerably successful. Sure, luck has some part to do with this, but ultimately it's a persons determination that will carry them as far as they desire in this life. When it comes time to decide whether or not college is right for you, there are a lot of factors to decide. Exploring the who, what, when, where, why, and how of life, of your life is often one way of making a relatively clear decision; only time can tell if it is truly the right decision however.
The Decision
At first the who might seem obvious, yet knowing all the facets of yourself can truly help you in the decision to attend college. I found after high school I had a rough idea of who I was as a person but I needed true freedom before I really knew for sure what it was I wanted to do with my life. Going into college unsure of who you are isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can be dangerous if you don't figure it out in the first year or two. Knowing yourself well can be the difference between picking the right degree, or ending up with an extra semester in payments because you took a bit longer.
What do you want to go for? A lot of people have an idea of what they want to do for work, or at least the degree they would find most useful in finding that thing. I mentioned in my first post that people that have a strong sense of purpose are more driven in life. Having a sense of purpose while in college can truly propel your grades upwards making you a great student. If you know your sense of purpose, finding a major can be easy and knowing what you want to go to college for will be a simple choice. Most people will attend college directly after high school, this can be for a number of reasons but personally I suspect it has to do with the focus of attending college in most schools. While I often thought of taking a gap year or not going to college, I still had a class that was entirely devoted to filling out college applications and teaching you how to get a leg up in the process. Not to mention there are often external pressures for students to go into college as many people believe if you don't go early on, you won't go at all. Taking a gap year can be beneficial as it gives you time to grow as a person. Some colleges in the US even suggest taking a gap year as a sort of break before diving into your studies at college; not to metion gap years are fairly common place for students across Europe. While it's true that taking time between high school and college might make it more difficult to apply and enroll as you won't be in a class that makes you do that, by no means is it impossible. In the US community colleges are everywhere, and they are all rather cheap in comparison to private universities and while we all grow up knowing the community college near us, by no means do you need to attend the closest one. Community colleges are also relatively easy to apply to meaning you can go at almost any part of your life.
Where do you want to go to college? The seemingly infinite options can almost be scary at first, even more-so if you think you know the college of your dreams but don't have an opportunity to visit before enrolling. Thanks to online applications, you can go almost anywhere you like, far away or close to home are both options granted you put in the work needed to get into the colleges you apply to. When I was deciding there were a number of factors I had to take into account. How close was I to family? Did I want to be in a city or a rural area or somewhere in between? Picking the right environment can be critical to your success in college, if you aren't happy in your environment there is no doubt going to be an affect on your education.
Similar to what you want to go to college, knowing why should be on the top of your priority list. Why do you want to go to college? If the answer is because people told you to go, you might find yourself in severe need of motivation. Not knowing why you're at college aside from getting a degree can make you feel like your missing the experience, or even worse, make you feel like what you're doing is pointless. Having a personal reason that you made for yourself can seriously help you in finding your way through college as well as motivate you to go to all those classes with optional attendance or to stay up all night to work through that paper due tomorrow.
Finally, how are you going to go to college? How will you pay for tuition and loans? How will you attend, online or in person on a campus? Everybody knows that you can get student loans but you need to account for many things you aren't familiar with as a young adult. Thinking about interest rates and monthly payment plans can make your head spin but the sooner you know how you're going to pay for college the sooner you can make it through the rest of it. Having family that is supportive financially can be invaluable as it takes a massive weight off your shoulders, especially if you're lucky enough to get out of college with little to no loans. Going online is an option that can reduce the cost for many students and allow you time to work a job or travel rather than be in one place all the time. It's not often viewed by many high school students but many adults with careers will choose to return to college via online classes as there won't be classes you have to take exactly at a certain time, allowing you to tailor your schedule and set aside time for when you want to work on classes.
The Alternatives
What are the alternatives to college if you don't go? Saying no to college doesn't mean you have to say no when it comes to continuing your learning or going to other types of schools. Going to a trade school can be an option and often will put you in a well-paying career shortly after. Automotive industry, cosmetology and welding are just some examples of jobs you might acquire after attending a trade school. If you're someone who wants to go to college but didn't necessarily enjoy traditional schooling or didn't do well in school, trade schools might be for you.
In my last post I referred to the internet as the one of the largest universities in the world and indeed it is. An online education is feasible for almost anyone in a developed country that has access to the internet, be it via a library computer or their own. With the right kind of motivation, you can learn nearly anything online. There are nearly infinite resources online that enable learning and provide class-like structures for those who need them. Not to mention on sites such as Coursera, many of the classes are offered by well-known and prestigious universities. Many of the classes you'll find are relatively low-cost or even free. If you go and learn on your own you can cut costs even more, however you may miss a decent amount of information present in actual courses. It is also worth warning that just because the internet is full of boundless resources, finding the right ones can be difficult and finding the motivation even more so.
Where to go from here?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. Only you can truly know if college is right for you. For me personally? I dropped out after a year. There were a mix of reasons; I couldn't afford to take on the massive debt I would end up with, I wanted to travel and see what else was out there before I truly locked in the rest of my life, and ultimately I didn't feel that the structure was the best fit for me right now. I plan on going back though. There is no doubt a college diploma can put you ahead of your peers without proper work outside of college. In the end, if you can afford it, my advice is to attend college.However, if you're like me, if you have such large doubts about college then don't let it limit you. If you don't go to college, put in the work to further educate yourself, put in the work to build your experience and develop a strong portfolio in any area you want. Life without college isn't impossible, success without college isn't easy but there have been many before myself who showed there can be success in a decision that is less taken. Success starts with you however, college or not, you get what you put in. If you truly put in all the effort you can, there is no doubt in my mind that anyone could chase their true potential and find personal success along the way. So here's to all the learners, who attend college or not, that strive to push themselves further everyday, because life isn't about a piece of paper, it's about what you do to overcome the challenges of life and the challenges you make for yourself.
