Is College Right for Me?

So you are thinking about going to college? It already sucks that society is forcing you to make a life altering decision when you are 17 or 18 years old, but since they do….here we are. 

Like always if you want to watch the video instead of the blog here is the video below.

First, cONGRATULATIONS!!!! because not everyone has the opportunity to even consider a question like this. College is becoming a necessary stepping stone in our society today in order to get ahead in life. In the same breath it is also used as a way to keep people in debt for the rest of their life. That’s why we are going to answer a few questions to see if college is right for you.

1. What Is Your Dream Job?

If you strive to become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer (*wink wink), then there is almost no way around having to go to college. You have to go to school to work in these fields of expertise.

Another way that I like to think of it is like this. Please, go pursue your dream of whatever it might be. But at the end of the day you have to pay bills, and need money to live. So you can have a profession using your degree while still working on your passion. 

On the other hand, If you don’t want to be in a field that requires you to have a  specialized degree such as the ones listed above. Then maybe college isn’t for you. If you have aspirations to be a part of the best lawn care service in the city. More than likely you would not need to go to college to achieve that dream.

2. Do you Enjoy Learning?

I ask this question in a broad way on purpose. If you want to learn more about in depth topics from high school then college should be the place that you go.

Some people look forward to that one specific class in high school. The one where the teacher is amazing and the topic is intriguing. You can get that same feeling from the college that you attend.

Sometimes what you are learning in high school is not interesting to you but you still crave the need for knowledge. This can possibly mean that you enjoy school, but you just need other topics to be taught, more of business and finance, and less of history and science. If this is you then college should still be considered. 

On the other hand, if learning is not for you. And you believe that you have everything you need from high school to do what you enjoy then why go to college just to learn more useless information. In college all you do is go to class, learn, take tests, and repeat. (In so many words)

3. Do you Want to Go to School for Another 4+ Years?

Yes, if you go to the big name Colleges and Universities they are four year schools. And if you decide to go to them and pick those majors you will start something that is going to take anywhere from 3 – 6 years to finish. Seems like a lot of time now but it really flies by once you get to the other side. 

This small time commitment in the grand scheme of things is a small investment for a lifetime of potential income. 

But if you don’t want to commit to “sacrificing” four years of your life there are plenty of junior/community aka, two year colleges out there. This will give you the benefit of obtaining a degree, without it taking four years and costing an arm and a leg (possibly an organ too). Your dream job can be achieved by simply getting your two year degree from a community college.

If you cannot commit to 4 or 2 years, there are also plenty of trade schools out there who have 12, 16, and 18 month programs that will have you learning a trade. And the hint is sometimes they will pay you to get these certificates because they are in such a demand now. The earning potential for these jobs are similar to those of a four year degree. It is just the type of work that is different. 

4. Misc. Reasons to Go to College

There are plenty of questions out there that you can ask yourself to see if you are ready for college. There are even quizzes that you can take if you enjoy doing those. But I am going to share some other topics that people ask before deciding to pursue an undergraduate degree.

• Do you want to live on campus and get the dorm experience? 
• Do you need to get away from your hometown because it is too small and you want to experience something different?
• Do you want to partake in the traditional college activities?. (This one is iffy because you can go and party and tailgate like you are in college without enrolling, adults do it all the time when they’ve peaked in college)
• Did you have good grades in high school?
• Do you want to build a bigger friendship network with other people from around the world? 

5. Can I Afford College

Unfortunately this is a major obstacle stopping people from choosing college. The financial burden of taking on student loan debt, or making your parents stress over trying to pay for your school can be a lot to overcome. 

But there are plenty of ways to help pay for school. There are going to be a good chunk of blogs dedicated to alleviating some of the cost of going to school. That’s part of the reason I created this blog to help people like you.

6. Rob’s Opinion

College can be the gateway to a lot of different opportunities for young (and older) individuals. I personally chose to go to school and become an electrical engineer because I enjoyed math, and I wanted to make a lot of money right out of undergrad. 

That way when I got out of college I could just work and come home and live a comfortable lifestyle. Now obviously that’s not my end goal, but it is my river and lakes while I go chase waterfalls. 😉

And that is what you should have when stepping into adulthood. A plan….more than one plan. Whether those plans involve college or not is entirely up to you. Going to college only makes you an expert in a particular field. But it is only when you combine your expertise with your passion that you enjoy what you do for a living.