Why You Should Wait to Go to College

Being a graduate of a four-year state college, I still from time to time wish I had waited to go to college. Not everyone necessarily should wait, because some people who do and go on a “year break” or whatever it may be, never go back. There are always variations to reasons someone should or shouldn’t go to college right after high school.

Based on my experience of going to college straight out of high school, I will explain a few reasons waiting may not be such a bad idea.

You Aren’t Financially Ready

Just because you have opportunities to take out loans or receive a couple of small grants doesn’t mean you should take them. Of course there are always exceptions to this. If you are given a lot of grants that you have a limited time to accept, you may want to take them right away. But just because someone is willing to give you a college loan doesn’t mean you can afford that college loan.

Someday, you will have to pay them, and they will have built up interest.

Many people are paying hundreds a month in student loans, yet sitting with no job in their degree. And many students, fresh out of their parents’ home, don’t understand yet how loans and debt can haunt you for years. There are a lot of degrees with a decent payout once you complete them, but your degree also has to be carefully decided upon (which I’ll mention later).

Still determined?

You don’t need to wait until you have oodles of money to throw around for an education. However, you should remember to only take out as much as you need for a loan. It will catch up to you, with interest! And you may not always have a job lined up after graduation to start paying those off.

If you are determined to go to college, you have a few options.

Loans and grants are there, but do a lot of research on all of these. Take out the least amount of loans as possible. Some people go to college and pay as they go. If they don’t have the money to pay it off in full, they don’t go. They will save up for a while, pay for the courses, and then go. This is also a good strategy because you know if you paid for it out of pocket right away, you’ll take it more seriously.

If all else fails and you want to go badly but have no money to go except through government and private loans, at least keep a small part-time job. Even if all that job is paying for is your groceries and gas for your car, it’s at least a loan you won’t have to pay off later. It really adds up.

If there was one regret I had in college, it was that I didn’t keep a part-time job while classes were in session. I thought living in the dorms and having my loans meant I could go to class and then study 24/7 and I wouldn’t have time to fit in a few hours of work.

In short, carefully analyze all your financial possibilities before going. You don’t want to have to pay later for something you could have taken care of right away. Trust me, a job you work at for six hours a week isn’t going ruin your grades, but it’ll keep a few groceries in your cupboards that you aren’t paying for 10 years later.

You Don’t Know What You Wanna Do

Some people literally go to college only because they think that’s the next step they have to take after high school. I was one of those people. I was pressured into picking a college, notifying my school so everything about my graduating class could be published in the local newspaper and whatever other pamphlets they made about our class.

I picked a school based on price, a location I was willing to move to, and had enough variation of majors that once I got through my two-year generals I would be able to choose something.

I ended up switching majors a couple of times and paying for and taking classes I really shouldn’t have been in. I didn’t know what else to pick at the time. I was there because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be doing.

Sometimes it’s best to just grow up a little, explore the world some on your own, try a few jobs and then see what you like. Go to college for your passion. For those who don’t know why they’re going, you can be wasting a lot of money and time on credits you don’t need to graduate.

If you really are set on an idea and know what career field you want to enter, by all means get your finances figured out and go to college! If you have a passion, don’t let anything stop you.

But for many who are entering college because they’re forced, feel pressured or feel like it’s just the next life stage they have to enter immediately after high school, it’s OK to wait for a little while until you know. If you have any doubt, just wait a little bit. Colleges want your business, and they aren’t going to disappear tomorrow.

The only warning for waiting is that some people wait and then end up never going, but wish they had.

Still determined?

If you are still determined to go to college but have no idea what you want to go for, there are a couple things to consider.

Your final decision on your career may not require college. You may need on the job experience instead, or only need a two-year degree focused on the subject matter versus a four-year degree.

If you want the four-year experience, you still can take two years of generals before really having to be serious about picking a major. Trying different classes out to get a feel for what you want to do is good, to an extent. Don’t spend an extra $60,000 after you get your generals out of the way trying to figure out your major.

Go to a career counselor and do your research. Go through your career possibilities and see if that’s something you want to go for. See what kind of major you would need to achieve such careers.

If you really still want to go, despite not knowing what to do, at least do research over the course of two years. Write down what makes you happy; even if it’s just hobbies or your favorite food. Write down what your dream job would be, even if it seems unattainable. Then evaluate what classes offer the major you would need, or the skills to take you there.

Remember, you are paying for your education. It’s not just a piece of paper. It is OK to take a random course if it’s something you want to learn. This is your chance to explore yourself and to be excited about learning and what life has to offer.

You Aren’t Mentally Ready

College is a great time to grow as a person. You learn about all sorts of things and have many different professors to learn from. So part of growing up is just attending college in general and learning as you go.

At the same time, you shouldn’t necessarily attend college until you are ready for it.

You have to appreciate your classes, by attending them and studying. Many people attend college and just breeze through everything with the bare minimum work required to get the degree. You may have that piece of paper at the end that says you graduated, but it’s not really going to help get you anywhere in the long run.

When you go to college, it is the opportunity to build connections, network, do internships, learn a lot, work on your portfolio and take control of your career step. But if you are going just for the piece of paper and nothing more, you really are wasting your time and money. That piece of paper doesn’t really mean you know what you are doing. It is possible to get through college and not learn a thing or get anything out of it.

Would you really want your doctor to have a degree but actually know nothing? Employers want more proof you can actually do the work. A simple degree to your name will not always suffice. Sometimes it can, but many employers want to see your portfolio or simple job experience. Who did you intern for? Do you have a letter of recommendation from a professor, colleague or anyone else you may have networked with. Did you join any clubs in the time you were in college? What about volunteering? Other than waking up and taking tests, what did you take from college?

With the job market as fierce and competitive as it is, you will most likely need more than the piece of paper.

Still Determined?

The most important thing, whether you are mentally ready or not, is to follow your passion. Don’t sleep and party the years away. This is your chance to find what you love and what you want to do with your job. Even if it’s just writing short stories, blogging, painting, joining a sport or volunteering at a food shelf, do what you love.

Take college as an opportunity and excuse to find who you are and grow as a person. You don’t need to wait five years to be fully mentally prepared for college. Many people are college bound and ready right after high school. Others need to wait. But if you don’t feel comfortable waiting, and want to go just to see if you can, figure it out as you go, at least find what it is you love, and continue to do it.

Through this, you can find your passion, network with others with similar interests, or who may need someone like you with expertise, knowledge and a love for what you do.

There is no right or wrong in this. If you follow your passion, even if you are a little immature and aren’t fully ready for college, the rest will fall into place eventually.

In short:

College is something that should be decided by the individual. No school, community of people or your friends should be pressuring you into doing something you don’t feel ready for. College will still be there when you are ready.

You may just need an extra few months to think about it, or even a few years. But when you are ready, you can make college an awesome and worthwhile experience. With careful planning, following your passion and dreams, it can be worth the money. For something that costs thousands, it should be carefully thought through. You shouldn’t feel forced into paying for something you don’t want to be part of. You wouldn’t wear an $8,000 outfit you thought was unfitting to who you are. Why spend it on something you are only doing to make someone else happy?

College is about you and becoming the person you always wanted to be. Spend it on that.

Wait if you have to.

But most of all, follow your dreams … and if college is what you need to fulfill them, by all means sign up. Otherwise, save your money.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *