One of the biggest pressures in life is going to college and becoming successful. In high school it is drilled into everyone’s head by parents, guidance counselors and teachers that if you don’t go to college you won’t go anywhere in life. One thing that isn’t talked about is how to make life for yourself without a degree.
In many classrooms there are kids who sit in their seats and don’t learn anything for the hour and a half they are there. Why is that? It’s not because the teacher isn’t teaching, or because they aren’t trying to learn, it’s because everyone learns differently. Some kids learn by taking notes or reading, but there are also kids who learn by actively doing. Many kids don’t learn by sitting in a classroom they learn by trying things for themselves, which often isn’t the way teachers run their classrooms. If a kid goes through high school hating it because he feels like he isn’t learning then why would he go back to school for another four years?

Six out of ten students that go to a four year college end up dropping out according to the National Student Clearinghouse. Steve Jobs, one of the most successful Americans, is included in this majority. After dropping out of Reed College , Jobs co-founded Apple that came out in 2007 which has now turned into a trillion dollar company. Other successful people who didn’t finish college include, Ted Turner, founder of CNN, Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, and Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. Debt can also be a reason that people drop out, while in college if you take out loans debt piles up which can be more than some can handle.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s an array of good jobs that don’t require a four year college degree. To be a power plant operator, mechanic, and a real estate agent are jobs that only require a high school diploma. Many jobs now require an associate’s degree which is far cheaper and only takes about two to three years at a community college. Some jobs that only require an associate degree are, physical therapist assistant, dental hygienist ,paralegal and a plumber. Although an associates degree is still a couple extra years of school it can save time and money and give great career opportunities. Trade school is another option which is a school that allows students to start hands on training in the field of work they’ve chosen. Career center is an option which can help students get licensed for jobs while in high school.

Fifty three percent of college graduates are unemployed or working in a job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree according to Washington University. This means even if you do go to college and do everything everyone tells you to you still aren’t guaranteed to get a job. You might end up having hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt living in a one bedroom apartment wishing you would have taken a job straight out of high school. But hey, you might also become a hot shot doctor but who knows. Depending on your prospective career path college, that might not be right for you. That’s okay; don’t do something just because everyone else is.