It’s a statement you’ve likely heard more than once since it’s absolutely true and yet it’s so hard for some folks to accept since their aspirations are so great that they can’t or don’t want to hear that college isn’t the place for them. Why though? Why is college for some folks and not for others? There have been a lot of answers that have been given over the years and a lot of debate that has been spawned because of this idea, but the truth is that it’s rather self-explanatory unless one wants to dig a little deeper, since college is, let’s be honest, a privilege that many people work for. It’s also understood that those who seek a college degree should attempt to make the most of higher education as it’s intended to advance careers and better the lives of those that are interested. The sad part of college is that not all of those who desire it will benefit from it. Like it or not, college is a level of education the divides the truly intelligent from those that might be dedicated, but aren’t necessarily meant to go this far.
So let’s get into this, and discover why college is great for a lot of things, and for the people that can focus and get into it, but it’s not as great for everyone.
It takes a lot of work to get into a college.
Parents out there will know from personal experience and from trying to help their own teenagers get into the system that college is no joke. Here are just a few things you’re going to have to worry about:
- Which colleges and how many are you interested in?
- Which colleges have the programs that are needed to further your education?
- What IS your interest in college?
- How far away are you willing to move for college?
- When do you need to start thinking about college?
- What will colleges ask for when it comes to grades, community service, extracurriculars, etc.?
- Oh, there are a lot more than this, enough to drive the average person into a state of sever anxiety. But the question is, do you really want/need to go to college?
Believe it or not, that’s barely a fraction of the questions you’ll be asking when it comes to getting yourself or your kids into college, since most institutions are going to want to know the life story of your kid, or you, before you ever set foot in their halls as one of their students. It might sound a bit severe, but a lot of schools want to know that they’re getting someone of a certain caliber that they can approve of. If you don’t meet their standards, then a lot of schools will reject you outright or come up with a reason why you’re just not their type. If you meet their requirements and their standards and jump through the many hoops they want, then you might have a chance, but don’t think it guarantees you a spot.
The truth is that some colleges and universities do have a waitlist to attend their courses, and some people will wait months, if not years, to be accepted into schools whose reputation is great enough that they can actually leave people waiting in the cold while still retaining a full student body. What’s worse is that there have been cases of students on the waitlist being passed over when it comes to students that colleges are willing to pursue for one reason or another. And no, being a stellar athlete is not the only reason, nor is the amount of money that a person’s parents might donate to the school. Both are pretty common reasons though.
Focus isn’t everything, but it’s still important.
So let’s say you get in, and it’s fair to say that most students are pumped to get into school. Those that aren’t that excited either don’t belong there in the first place or are bummed since they didn’t get their chance to attend the school of their dreams. It could be that they’re enrolled in a school to bring their grades up, earn the money they need (I’ll get to cost in a bit), or are simply trying to make the best of things but still aren’t that psyched. Those that aren’t excited at all and are simply existing in school because their parents required that they go to college or get a job aren’t the worst folks in the world, but unless they’re willing to do the work and are more focused on partying and getting drunk all the time, then this is one good example of people that don’t belong in college.
When I say that focus isn’t everything, it means that while it is needed, it’s not meant to become the epicenter of your life. There are those that are laser-focused on their goals and will work as hard as possible to get what they want but will still balance out their lives when it comes to having fun or just relaxing. Then there are those that will focus on nothing but school and will run the risk of becoming so highly neurotic that they’ll be addicted to one medication or another, or several, by the time they hit graduation, if not before. They might belong there, but these are the types that burn out far quicker than anyone else unless they learn how to calm the hell down. Then there’s everyone that comes between the extremes that people tend to see in the movies, the people who want to be there that can either hack it and make their way from one class to another with minor to moderate difficulties.
These folks tend to belong here for one reason: they’re willing to do the work. These folks might find college to be a challenge or a breeze depending on their level of intelligence and their ability to focus, but they’re willing to do the work and dig in when they have to. But they know when to relax and kick back when it’s necessary. Focusing too hard on college is a good way to go psychotic and start talking about how an isosceles triangle named Pocahontas signed the Magna Carta in the war of 1812 that resulted in the standoff at the Alamo. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? That’s kind of tame compared to some of the rants that have been heard throughout the years.
How will you pay for college?
Here’s one of the biggest and stickiest questions imaginable since like it or not, it’s one of the most important as well. When we say that college isn’t for everyone, this is another way that it becomes easy to explain since the fact that it’s kind of a brutal way to divide people, as it’s been evidenced over the years, money talks and bs walks. Thanks to a number of different programs and options for students this isn’t as true any longer, but there’s still a pretty big divide when it comes to those that want to attend but can’t afford it, and those that can afford it but are attending simply because it’s expected of them. There are a few different ways that college can be paid for if you’re short on funds. It won’t always be perfect, since there are methods for attending college that will incur a lot of debt, but in the end, one will have what they’re after and will be able to pay off the debts upon procuring their desired career. That’s the ideal version, but there are a few different paths to consider, such as:
- Scholarships-They can be a little tough to get, but there are literal books filled with differnt scholarships that are all tailored for the general public or for those with a specific need, condition, or other factor that might be unique enough to give a person a chance. While attending college on scholarship doesn’t always pay for everything, it does alleviate a portion of the cost in order to allow those that are dedicated to their course to continue forward.
- Grants-The best thing about grants is that they usually don’t need to be paid back and some of them can be quite substantial. These won’t pay for everything either to be honest, but once again, every little thing counts when a person really wants to attend college and has the drive and focus to make it work.
- Financial Aid-This is by far one of the most costly ways to attend college since it involves taking on a very substantial loan, or set of loans, that will need to be paid back after graduation, or after you drop to less than half attendance or drop out entirely. It shouldn’t need to be said, but defaulting on a college loan will end up ruining your good name for a while, not to mention your credit. While it doesn’t necessarily show a lack of commitment if a loan is defaulted on (well, it kind of does since it means you don’t know how to pay a debt) it will take a chunk out of your financials for a while one way or another.
- Out of Pocket-Good luck with this option unless you have the kind of funds that make college tuition look like a joke. Years ago it might have been a little more likely that this would be an option, but today, most people trying to get into college are just trying to survive, so paying thousands in tuition isn’t a huge priority.
There are alternatives to college.
I’ll be honest with this, having a college degree on your resume and in hand, so to speak, is a big up since it shows that you have a bit of higher learning that could hopefully be applied to one job or another. But it’s not a golden ticket, nor is it a guarantee that you’ll get what you want. A college degree is a piece of paper that says you’ve passed tests, handed in assignments, and hopefully have gained the intelligence, as well as the wisdom, that comes with the impressive-looking document that you probably have framed at home. There are other ways to learn without dropping tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, however, but as you might have already guessed, they’re not easy. Hey, college isn’t easy either, but learning at your own pace, or finding something else that will earn you a life worth living, that’s going to take some work. Here are at least a few alternatives:
- Trade schools-This is a perfectly viable and valuable way to earn money while going to school and learning a useful skill that can help others and net you a comfortable life as you bring in at least five to six figures per year depending on the job and your level of skill. Trade schools have become quite popular over the years since they do offer a good set of life skills that are more than a little important. It’s not always easy, but the skills learned at such skills are far more practical at times than the antiquated studies that a lot of universities teach.
- Job fairs-Not everyone is going to demand a college education for new hires, especially since some companies are looking for extra bodies to fill their ranks. You might not find the job of your dreams right away, but at the very least you’ll learn that you have options that require a GED or high school diploma and will provide on the job training. If you know how to look and are willing to start out slow, this can be a great option.
- Late fees at the local library-Yep, that’s right, I went ‘Good Will Hunting’ on you, since believe it or not, this is an option, even if it’s not one that a lot of people would think that they’re capable of following. This this the ultimate way to become self-taught since it involves no instruction, no tests, no lectures, just a lot of reading and a great deal of retention that will likely feel impossile to a lot of people. But if you’re not in college and are working a steady job, it’s one of the cheapest ways to learn, even if it requires an astounding amount of discipline for some people.
The Verdict-College still isn’t for everyone, but it’s a chance that anyone can take.
College is a chance to attain the kind of learning that high school hints at but doesn’t give you. A lot of what you’ll see in college is a review, but it will also go more in-depth and become highly specialized as people are encouraged to shift their focus and decide what they’ll do with their lives, while still keeping one’s options open just enough to shift direction if they so desire. Do you want to know a well-known secret about college? It’s a proving ground for those that have nothing to prove. I know, that makes very little sense, but then again, neither does college sometimes.
