Click here to see my article on why college is not always the best:
Or just read it here below:
5 Reasons Not to go to College
(Appeared on WSB-TV.com September, 2010.)
Okay, so you’re done with high school. You’re 18. And you’re looking toward the next step in life.
What should you do now?
Well, if we were playing the Family Feud, “what would the survey say”? Undoubtedly, the #1 answer would be “go to college”. No question, going to college is a popular choice for graduating seniors and popular wisdom tells us that without a degree it is increasing hard to find a job.
But as costs for college sky-rocket, as two-thirds of Americans find work without a degree, and as most students aren’t going to directly use their degree anyway, it’s high time we do ourselves a favor and take an objective perspective of the “going to college” question.
Certainly the educational and social benefits of college are great, but they need to be measured up against the costs.
So in a society giving us plenty of messages about the merits of college, we need to balance the scale by offering you some reasons as to why you may want to avoid, or at least wait, on getting that degree.
#1. Most jobs don’t require it.
Sure, if you’re going into a field that requires specific, intense training, then places like law school and medical school are for you.
But for careers in sales, management, business, administration, hospitality, entertainment, journalism, service industries, and most blue collar jobs, a degree will offer you a lot, but it’s not needed.
And frankly, when it comes to blue collar jobs, we need to appreciate them more in America right now. In an almost mocking reminder of this, the 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, collapsed, killing 13 people in August 2007. This revealed infrastructure woes we have in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis Public Schools uses the motto, “Every Child College Ready”.
Minneapolis may consider “Every child career ready”. Encourage all students dreams, not just the collegiate ones.
#2. Time wasted
Life is short; youth is shorter. What are those four or five years in college doing for you?
Indeed, college will offer you great opportunities and experiences. But don’t be afraid to consider what other opportunities you could be doing rather than enjoying a lecture of Psych 101.
Think outside the box and see the world as yours. If you’re interested in cultures, why not travel and work in a foreign land? Peacecorps, Americorps, mission trips—all allow great opportunities to do this. Heck, see the country by driving truck for a while!
How about get a taste of how small businesses and the “real world” operate by working for one, or better yet, starting your own.
It is a unique time in your life to try out novel experiences.
#3. Don’t go unless you really want to.
Once you are ready for the decision to enroll, go with confidence.
By contrast, only a third of incoming freshman today graduate in four years—only half will graduate at all! Many go to college because they don’t know what else to do. Consequently, their enrollment is mired with uncertainty about what major to declare. Some will have to go back a second time later in life.
It doesn’t make sense.
Think of it like buying a house. It’s not the end of the world to realize you bought the wrong home, but boy, it’s certainly something you’d like to avoid. Similarly, you shouldn’t be make decision about education lightly.
And know that at 18 it’s okay to wait. History is filled with famous people who didn’t get a start in their field until later in life.
#4 Money
Yeah, Mr. Obvious here. College is expensive. As enrollments surge in American colleges, so does the tuition. (You don’t have to be an Econ major to understand supply and demand!) Private colleges are regularly charging $35,000/yr. State colleges often exceed $10,000/yr.
It’s easy to ignore the costs of college when loans are paying for it. Don’t.
“Oh, not to worry,” many say while citing popular statistics showing you’ll make $800,000 more throughout your lifetime with a degree.
Sure, many will make more money who have a degree, but realistically, this population was going to make more money whether they had a degree or not. Plus, that statistic doesn’t consider the hundreds spent each month paying back student loans or the missed earnings while in college.
Suddenly, that number gets chopped in half. And most of that could be offset just by investing the money you spent on college!
#5 You don’t have to go college to be educated.
Colleges do offer resources (professors and laboratories) that you can’t get anywhere else. So if you need these resources, by all means go for ‘em.
But consider subjects such as history, languages, literature, economics, etc. You can educate yourself in these areas. Countless books and web content are available for you to learn at your pace, studying subjects you choose, by the educators you want.
And if you want the classroom experience, your community probably offers classes on foreign language, writing, etc. at a fraction of the cost.
Simply put: your ability to learn is ultimately in your hands, not locked away behind the doors of a lecture hall.
All in all, look at college for what it is—an offer by the business of higher education. It’s a great product, but it’s also costly and time-consuming. Make a good decision based on the facts and based on what’s best for you.
