Since being a high school student (or even earlier), you must have heard that college education is everything. Youngsters take PSAT/NMSQT to find out if they are prepared for college and there are numerous opportunities and programs for applicants all over the USA. College Board has special programs for middle school students that help them prepare for PSAT and get higher scores.
You make a huge step when entering college. That is why it is absolutely crucial to know what challenges are waiting for you there. However, is college something all of us really need?
A college degree is not always necessary for your career
Indeed, there are professions that do require college degrees. You cannot become a licensed doctor or engineer if you don’t have one. However, there are jobs that are focused on your knowledge and experience rather than a diploma. What is more, for some of them, college is a waste of time. Your precious years could be invested in a more valuable working experience that would make a better line in your CV than a degree.
If you skip college in favor of work, you have a chance to get something more valuable. In fact, for most office jobs, four years of relevant working experience is better than four years spent on a college bench. And here is another argument – college makes you spend money, while you earn them at work.
While some office positions are not demanding when it comes to specialized education, there are surprisingly well-paid jobs you can also consider:
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians ($55,120)
Education: Associate’s degree
- Electricians ($49,320)
Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- Construction Managers ($84,240)
Education: Associate’s degree
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers ($65,210)
Education: Associate’s degree
- Sales Representatives ($53,540)
Education: High school diploma or equivalent
College is not for everyone
Let’s face it – not all of us are excited about being students. It’s true, that more than half of American youngsters that apply for a degree are following the idea to get a diploma. They are not very inspired by studying as a process, which causes depression, frustration, and finally dropouts. There is no sense in turning your days into a nightmare. Of course, you can always find a service and say, “I need you to write a paper for me cheap,” but you cannot do that every single day, can you? Yes, college is not a place for those who are not motivated to stay there. If you don’t really feel that a college is a place where you want to be, attending it would be torture. A college education is too hard, so you cannot gain it without being absolutely committed. If you are not – then you would eventually be expelled or deeply depressed for years. It doesn’t make sense to attend one if you don’t really want to, especially considering the tuition rate, room rent, and other expenses.
A significant but probably unjustified investment
College rates are high, but for most students this investment might not be the best one. Since 80s the costs for education have risen by more than 1000%. In fact, when you are not a “college person”, such fees are critical – you have to pay for something that doesn’t have an obvious value, while this something makes you depressed all the time. When you are getting a lawyer or doctor degree, sitting over your textbooks day and night, it becomes even more difficult. Meanwhile, the tuition fees continue growing and your investments seem less and less justified. As a result, we get an entire army of graduates that are absolutely not interested and unprofessional. Not only they spend significant sums on education but they get low-paying jobs in the end. This way, their investments never come back.
Conclusion
We are not trying to say that college is not an option for everyone. The idea is that someone fits college, while the others don’t. If you are not a motivated learner, eager to devote years of your life to this, chances are that you’d better skip college. The statistics show that people without college degrees can obtain relatively well-paid jobs or build their careers pursuing self-education. All in all, there is plenty of millionaires that don’t have a degree at all and never tried to get one!
We believe that the best option is to choose something that you enjoy – be it a career option or a degree. When you feel that something in your life is irrelevant – don’t be afraid to perceive it as exaggerated by other people and common opinion.
