I don't want to go to college, and I never did (Prefer to hear from those who didn't go to college)

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I recently graduated (June 12 to be exact) from Morse High School here in San Diego, CA. I graduated with a 3.29 CGPA (So I'm a blue-collar). I didn't apply to any colleges at all--reason is being is because I don't want to.</p>

<p>Please don't be offended by this, but I honestly think college is a waste of time.</p>

<p>My parents are in their 50's. I feel like if I work now rather than go to college, I feel like I'll have more money than I would have if I started working AFTER college. My dad has a high salary (which means my chances to get financial aid is less), but we still can't pay for college. My parents WANT me to go to college, but no matter how many times I try to persuade myself that I should go to college, I'm still set on not going and just begin working.</p>

<p>I really REALLY don't want to go to college: I don't want to spend another 4 years in school while my father is working his ass off (excuse my language) driving to LA to go to work then going back home on the same day for 4 more years. And he's been telling he's tired.</p>

<p>But I do want to be MORE than financially stable. I want to have a family and not struggle in the future. Will not going to college still give me that chance? In other words, will only having a High School Diploma give me that choice?</p>

<p>I plan on becoming a math teacher, because I've loved math ever since elementary. I at first decided to become an engineer, but I always felt uneasy about it. My Calculus teacher came along and inspired me and made me realize that I want to become a math teacher. I love helping people and math is my passion!</p>

<p>I want to be able to say in the future when I look back that THIS is MY life's work, without any doubt.</p>

<p>This is the problem with society, because the norm is to go to college, and adds a lot of pressure to the child the moment he or she is born and the parents as well. It took 12 years to prepare for 4 years?</p>

<p>If you have any more questions to ask me, please feel free to do so.</p>

<p>Thank you for your replies!</p>

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<p>You can’t become a teacher without going to college. You need to go to college and then receive a teaching license.</p>

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<p>Okay, a few things:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>This is a college website; therefore, everyone here plans to go to college, is in college, or is helping their kid plan for college. You might try posting this to the parent’s forum. They probably have better insight/better chance of finding some that didn’t go to college.</p></li>
<li><p>There’s nothing wrong with not going to college. It is true, however, that generally speaking, those with college degrees get paid more. And there are definitely a lot of jobs out there that require college degrees.</p></li>
<li><p>

True in the sense that society these days usually expects kids to go to college, but the pressure’s only there if you let it be or if your parents are constantly waving it in your face. Personally, I’ve never felt an immense amount of pressure to do any certain thing with my life. It just so happens that I want to go to college.</p></li>
<li><p>Lastly, and most importantly, you have to go to college to be a teacher. </p></li>
</ol>

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<p>I’m a HS student and I know you want to hear from people who didn’t go college, but I want throw my two cents in. Feel free just ignore my post if you want.</p>

<p>In order to be a teacher, you have a degree especially if you plan on teaching high schoolers. I’d recommend going to a community college if you want something closer to home/cost less money or doing some online program to get your degree.</p>

<p>Sadly, I know you don’t want to go school but for that specific profession a college education is a must. If you wanted to be a technician or something that required more hands on skills you probably could have skipped around college via an apprenticeship. I hope my advice is somewhat helpful even though it probably isn’t what you wanted to hear.</p>

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<p>Of course you can have a fulfilling and financially rewarding career without college. However, from your post it is not clear that you have a solid idea of what you DO want to do, rather just that you DONT want to go to college right now. </p>

<p>Learning a skilled trade would be the most secure route to a financially rewarding career without college - electrical, plumbing, auto mechanics etc. You would need to seek out training and put in your time as an apprentice. You could join the military, there are loads of great career paths that would be open to a mathematically oriented “college ready” young person. You would need to sign on for training courses in the military. </p>

<p>If the career that calls to you is being a math teacher, that one is going to require a college education. If the chief problem is your attitude/motivation, you could take a year off and work, perhaps get yourself in the right mindset. If the chief issue is not burdening your parents, you could choose a community college that won’t cost your parents much for the next couple years. If you work this year, you could even save up to further reduce the burden on your parents.</p>

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<p>As others have said, you need to go to college to become a teacher. Honestly, I am shocked that you had not researched teaching enough to know that you must have a college degree: is teaching really your passion?</p>

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<p>I’m terribly sorry, I failed to mention that I would consider going to a vocational school and that I have also considered on finding a job involving computers such as a computer graphic designer or a computer engineer (software OR hardware). And yes, I did know that I need a degree. </p>

<p>@DiscipulusBonus It’s not teaching that is my passion, it’s math.</p>

<p>Thank you for all your replies so far. It is much appreciated.</p>

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<p>You’re going to have to go to college as others CC stated. Also in my school, and most definitely others, teachers with a masters degree earn a higher salary. I don’t know how many years of schooling that is including undergrad, but long story short if you want to be a teacher you must go to college.</p>

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<p>You seem to be in California. Maybe teach yourself a bunch of computer languages, prove yourself by making a great app, and then join some startup?</p>

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<p>I can’t earn a teaching degree in a vocational?</p>

<p>Also, I want to give this a try: let’s IGNORE the fact that I want to become a math teacher for now.</p>

<p>Say I was open to any career or job, and I wouldn’t mind working with more than one.</p>

<p>Will those be enough to fulfill my wish to be financially stable for the future of my family with just a high school diploma?</p>

<p>Also, is it possible to just do Community for 2 years and then join the work force? Can I get a teaching degree in Community?</p>

<p>@Cosmological I’ve learned some PHP from Code Academy. Coding is pretty interesting to me, to be honest. I wish I had taken Computer Science.</p>

<p>Once again, thank you for your fast replies.</p>

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<p>@PrinceSuho‌ Sorry if this is totally irrelevant to the thread, but are you a Kpopper? Your username has “Suho” and Suho = EXO. :smiley: </p>

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</p>

<p>Yes, it’s possible. You’ll need to work hard and take a few financial risks so that you become a contractor, say, and not the contractor’s employee.</p>

<p>To be a certified teacher, you must have a bachelor’s degree.</p>

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<p>@PrinceSuho Look at edX and try Harvard’s CS50 (Intro to Comp Sci) or MIT’s 6.001.x, which is a somewhat equivalent course.</p>

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<p>@WasatchWriter What kind of risks? And what do you mean by a contractor? What is that?
@Animefan1998 Yes, I am. I love EXO! And I love dancing their songs. Suho is my bias, because I look and am like him~
@Cosmological Are those online courses? Are they free?</p>

<p>Thank you again, everyone. It would still help for a couple more comments and replies!</p>

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<p>I’d suggest you look at Obama’s talk on Tumblr about college. He says that not all careers require college and that there shouldn’t be such a stigma attached to higher education.
Maybe if your parents see the President agreeing, they’ll like the idea better.</p>

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<p>College is not for everyone…no harm in that…if you can find a passion that is right…and you can get there through vocational school, why not? I heard a great interview with the musical director of Saturday Night LIve on NPR yesterday…he doesn’t even have a <em>high school</em> diploma! Not saying that is the right route…but i think it’s great to study one thing that is job-oriented </p>

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<p>@PrinceSuho‌ I completely agree with @Cosmological, I bet it will give you great experience and will be very exciting!
(It is funny, because that is kinda my plan after college)</p>

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<p>@PrinceSuho They are free, but if you would like an official certificate, it’s at least $50 for the MIT course and around $90 for the Harvard course.</p>

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<p>I’ll point out that you don’t necessarily need to be certified as a teacher to teach at private schools, but in most cases (maybe all, but I used to go to these sleazy Baptist schools that taught young-earth creationism, and the teachers might not have had degrees) you need a bachelor’s degree. </p>

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<p>Here is a good website about jobs in the skilled trades. <a href=“http://www.mikeroweworks.com”>http://www.mikeroweworks.com</a></p>