<p>So I am a 19 year old male, entering freshman year, I move in on August 18th or something like that. I truly don't know if I want to go to college.</p>
<p>All through highschool I have maintained a 3.8 gpa and only have one C on my transcript. School is not super hard for me, its just I don't like to apply myself to stupid school topics. I guess I am somewhat lazy in that aspect.</p>
<p>As the days till I leave grow closer and closer, I really am not understanding why I am going to college. I read alot on these forums before I decided to post this, and I read how parents pressure the whole "you need college or you will never make enough money to support yourself and live" but it seems like todays society has changed. Its like a bachelor degree doesn't mean too much next to a highschool diploma. Its more so experience. </p>
<p>I mean I guess I am somewhat confused, its just like I don't see the point of going to college, I am worried I am going to fail the classes, I don't know, its really just eating at me and irritating me.</p>
<p>I want to just say screw it, get a job, and go to community college, or UNLV and live at home for a couple more years, and work, and start supporting myself more so, then move out...but its like the parents constantly say "college experience" and I understand where they are coming from, but I don't know if thats WHAT I WANT for myself.</p>
<p>Sorry if this is in the wrong section, and if some of it does not make sense, I am just venting/stating my opinions, and asking for opinions. Thanks guys.</p>
<p>You are probably more anxious than you realize about leaving home and going to college - it may be on a subconscious level even if you are not aware of it (though your comment about worrying about failing classes indicates that you are aware of it). That is quite normal - this is an enormous change in your life - even students who are excited about the prospect will be anxious to a certain extent. Go ahead and give it a chance. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy the experience. If not you can always try something different.</p>
<p>Getting a job and supporting yourself probably sounds like a pretty exciting prospect right now. My son did do that but has discovered that, without any sort of education, what at first seemed like a lot of money to a HS grad does not go far when you are truly trying to support yourself and have rent and bills to pay. He was earning more than minimum wage but still lived from paycheck to paycheck with no cushion for emergencies. And he finally realized there was nowhere much to go from where he was unless he got some sort of training (whether it be a college education or vocational training of some sort). At almost 22 he is about to go back to school. Most of the people he graduated HS with are graduating from college as he makes the decision to return.</p>
<p>Maybe you will be like my son and it will take a while to find your direction. That is fine. But for now at least give college a chance and see how it goes.</p>
<p>I don't think you just don't want to go to college--you're afraid of failing, so you think you don't want to even try. I've known so many people that think that they will just take some time off and work and all that before they go to college and almost 7-8 years later, they still haven't. I've also seen a few students who went back after quite some time, and they usually struggle because they have been out of school for some time and they don't remember stuff from HS. I think you should just try it out, even if it is only for a semester or a year. Take a few general ed's and some classes that interest you or are supposed to be awesome. Just get the feel of things before you jump into more complicated things. You'll never know if college is for you if you never try.</p>
<p>Go to college, it's very different from high school. Take classes that sound interesting, make friends, try new activities, get involved. If college really isn't for you, you can always quit later on, but not trying it in the first place isn't a good choice. Also, the first few weeks/months are normally rough, so wait until you're at least a semester in, if not a full year, before you make any serious decisions.</p>
<p>I really appreciate the responses. I guess it could be the anxiety. I have had this feeling several times before though also, but like you guys said I should give it a chance and if its truly not for me then its not, and I won't have regrets because I have tried it.</p>
<p>Thanks again, and I am sure you will see me around because I am moving in in less then a week. Hopefully everything works out.</p>
<p>Hey, I thought I was going to fail in college too; I got into a good college but, long story short, I didn't think I had the intellectual interest to work myself so hard. But see, college is much different than high school; for one, the intellectual approach is different. High school is about learning facts. College is about synthesizing new ideas and combining old ones, which is more fulfilling. Secondly, college is more than academics, it's a maturing, growing experience. You have an opportunity at a new social life; you will meet kinds of people you've never met before, and through meeting new people you'll make mental connections and revelations about the world at large and even life at home. There are opportunities to do entirely new things, like join new clubs, get a job, or get an internship, visit a different city, take on new responsibilities, etc etc. College is the time to tackle any of those age old insecurities you've got by trying new things. Jump into a leadership position, try a new skill, just explore explore explore. It's so much fun.</p>
<p>^ Those are definitely questions I would ask myself in this situation. Think about what your career goals are first. You probably know that a college degree is essential to get into fields such as science, medicine, and engineering, which is one motivation for me. </p>
<p>You may not know what you want to do in life yet, but just going to college may be a help itself. You have an opportunity to explore different fields than you were exposed to in high school, which is one exciting aspect. After taking classes within different fields, you just may find your passion. Taking gen eds may help point you in the right direction, whatever it may be. You may even decide that college isn't the best option for you. You'll never you unless you get that exposure. If you end up being disappointed, then it least you knew that it didn't work out. Not trying out college is probably a common regret, so think about this.</p>
<p>I'm in the same situation. I am not sure if I want to go to college. I was extremely close to going to the military, either through ROTC or just enlisting after high school. I have decided to give college a try, I'm also a recruited athlete so maybe that'll make things a little better.</p>
<p>Look, there are a lot of careers where a 4 year college just isn't going to help you. You're going to be wasting your time and money going there if you're just going there because "it's what you do." You've got to have some direction you want to head in or you're going to regret it.</p>
<p>"I want to do something in chemistry."
Good enough, go to college.</p>
<p>"I want to be a plumber."
Go to a trade school.</p>
<p>"I have absolutely no idea what I want to do."
CC (or local public if you can swing a close to full ride) for some basic classes while you do some real soul searching to figure out where you want to go in life.</p>
<p>Its like a bachelor degree doesn't mean too much next to a highschool diploma. Its more so experience.</p>
<p>I know the OP has already made his decision but I'd like to respond to the many times I have seen the above quote. A bachelor's degree will open a world of opportunities to you that you won't have with only a high school diploma. In many industries that can be the difference between an entry level hourly job versus a salaried career. Not to mention a bachelor's degree can lead you to graduate or professional degrees for even further career advancement. Many who work their way up to higher positions with only a HS diploma don't have that opportunity. </p>
<p>Even if you are unsure about what you want to study, go to college and you will surely find out within your first year or two and you will hopefully on your way to a successful and enjoyable career.</p>