College is not the only option

Here’s a fact: there are more options for life after high school besides going straight to college. Shocking right? But stay with me here, because it is truly possible to have a happy and fulfilling life without a college degree.

I know this fact personally; neither of my parents ever graduated from college. Yet, they live in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most expensive places in the US. They own three cars, all of which are less than 10 years old, have stocks, and are planning to buy a house next year. Their lack of a college education has never affected their ability to put food on the table, buy new clothes for me and my siblings, buy Christmas and birthday presents, and go on a vacation every year. Both have good jobs; my dad is a systems engineer and my mom is a preschool teacher, neither of these jobs require a college education. Not having a college degree hasn’t affected their ability to be in the middle class.

I’m not trying to make fun of anyone who plans to go to a college or university; if that is the only way your dream job can be attained, then go for it. However, don’t just go for the money and don’t think college has to come right after high school. Take a gap year! It’s actually normal in countries such as New Zealand or Australia for teenagers to travel the world for a year before going to some institution of higher education.

If travelling doesn’t float your boat, why not get an internship? Valuable job skills can be gained from this, such as time management and networking. There are thousands of companies looking for young people to work in Human Resources or other odd jobs around the office.

College is not the only option for higher education. It’s so ridiculous when someone asks, “what college do you plan to go? ” instead of what I plan to do after school. Those words are like saying that the only feasible option is college. This isn’t true; trade schools are a great option for people to train  in a specific profession. Companies are in desperate need for these skilled workers because so many people are going for the college route. Instead of being in a lecture hall with 100 other people, listening to a professor that doesn’t have the time to care about their students, why not have hands on, one-on-one training to learn carpentry, become an electrician, or an underwater welder.

Personally, I want to major in viticulture at UC Davis. If I don’t get into Davis, I can easily get my certification for this field through internships, or a three year program in a trade school. In fact, the only reason that I want to go to Davis is so that I could participate in its viticulture program that has a concentration in Spanish. So long as one is above the poverty line, and is able to afford all of their amenities and perhaps some extras, it shouldn’t matter what career path a person takes. Besides the low graduation rate of college students, and the near lifetime indebtedness, only 27 percent of people who graduate from college have a degree related to their major.