I no longer wish to attend college...

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hello all. I didn't know where else to post this, but I found some similar threads to what my own is about to be so I chose this section. </p>

<p>As the title states, I no longer wish to go to college. The problem is that I am worried about making enough money to live comfortably and being happy without getting a college degree. I've thought about it a lot. I've done some reading online, and all it's done is reassure me that I probably should not go.</p>

<p>As I always do, I originally had a nice "novel" written here, but I realized it was far too much and far too detailed. I'll try and summarize things. Pardon the disorganized state of this post.</p>

<p>I've never liked school, ever. I don't care about college reputations ("oh what colleges should I apply to?"), sports, clubs, school spirit, or "the experience" overall. I don't really relate to people my age very well. I have no interest in partying and making a bunch of friends and going to class hungover all the time. I like some people, I like to make friends, but I don't care about doing those things in college. </p>

<p>The only field that ever interested me was Psychology, and when I discovered a Masters degree was needed to actually be a Psychologist, I was discouraged. I looked for ways around college and never found anything good. I don't like the system. I don't like that I have to take Calculus to be a Psychologist. Why should I take a ton of unrelated classes and pay a ton of money for it? It seems ridiculous. I stand around and stare at all these people who are so excited to get in and pay these prices and jump through these hoops and I just think it looks like a circus. It's not who I am, it never has been, and it's beginning to look like it never will be. </p>

<p>Everyone told me I would love college, that it is so much better than high school, and that I needed to do it to ever be successful (or even comfortable) in life. But I didn't. I tried community college but I still felt the things described in the above paragraph. It felt pointless. I hated it, and I felt like an alien in the classroom, surrounded by people who actually wanted to be there. I aced every Psych class I took, despite half-***ing each of them. Intro, Developmental, Abnormal, Human sexuality. They were interesting, I liked them, but that's the only field that really interests me, and I'm not willing to jump through the hoops for it. Calculus? Are you kidding me? </p>

<p>I want a simple life. I am thinking about getting trained to be a body piercer, developing a name for myself, eventually opening my own shop, and going from there. I do like to write, and it's probably the only thing I'm remotely good at, so I was thinking I could do something with that. Freelance writing or something. When I get enough money, I want to buy a house with some land in a legal area, get a game breeder's license, and breed some species of wild mammals as a hobby. THAT is my life dream, I guess. Silly, I know it, but animals are the one thing that has interested me my whole life. I would love a job working with them, but again, the college thing...eugh. </p>

<p>I guess I just don't know what to do. I need to decide if I'm going back to college or not by December. I'm sick of sitting around in my parent's basement, stagnating. I want to move on now. I feel like I'm getting old already, and life is so precious, so short. I'd like to get out there and not waste any time, learn my skill, and use it, rather than focusing on unrelated classes in college. I know that if I don't go to college now, I may not be able to in the future when I'm on my own. I don't want to lose the chance, but I don't even really want it. </p>

<p>I apologize for the length and disorganized state of this post. I can't stop thinking about all of this anymore. I keep looking for answers, and I'm hoping this will bring me...something. I thought about getting a degree just to fall back on then going for everything I described, but it would mean doing exactly what I don't want to do - go to college. A two year degree is something I could put up with, but the whole transferring to a four year thing...eugh. </p>

<p>So to end this - if I go to college, it would be a human services or animal related thing, or for writing. Nothing else.</p>

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<p>I feel you, but you really have no choice. Just strive towards your goal even if it means to take superfluous classes.</p>

3

<p>If you feel like college is wasting time and money don’t go for it. Contrary to popular belief one can have a comfortable life without a college education.</p>

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<p>Well I’m glad I posted this somewhere else as well. I’m not meaning to offend. I know that college is important and exciting and seen as a good thing for many people, I’m just not one of them. I suppose I’m not “normal”. Google led me to threads on this forum that are similar to my own, which is why I chose to post here. I admit that I don’t know this forum’s purpose, or what it’s generally about. </p>

<p>I’m looking for suggestions as to what I could possibly do for a career; something that requires maybe two years of college. I’m also looking for those who may have felt the same things I did, that college wasn’t for them, that it seems unreasonable to have to take so many classes unrelated to one’s major and have to pay such a large sum for it. I can’t help but stand around, dumbfounded, while so many people rush to go through all of that, when they may come out with nothing but debt, or maybe a degree that they can’t find a job with. It happens, and these days, it’s happening a lot more than it ever has. </p>

<p>I’m finding out, with my research, that college is sincerely not for everyone, and it’s frustrating to hear people say that there is no choice. That kind of seems…hilarious? It’s clear that people have been brainwashed to think that there is no choice. There is a choice, but the outcome may not be as desirable in every case. College was once something so special, back when only the lucky could go, and now everyone goes, and so many drop out and so many don’t make use of their degrees. The cost is so high, too. Some leave feeling like it’s a waste. </p>

<p>Despite all of it, I could try, but being told that I need Calculus to be a Psychologist…that was the most discouraging part of all, because I can’t even do Algebra.</p>

<p>Edit: Bandgeek1 - Well, my problem is, I am afraid, and I don’t know how.</p>

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<p>It is tough if your parents have the mentality that without a degree you’ll get nowhere. That’s so false it’s laughable. There are a lot of people with degrees and thousands of dollars in debt that can’t find a job because they have no useful skills and hands on experience. College isn’t for everyone and it never will be.
[Best</a> Jobs | Associate Degree - Facts and Information](<a href=“The Best Online Colleges & Resources | OEDB.org”>The Best Online Colleges & Resources | OEDB.org)</p>

<p>You could also look into going to a vocational school, those degrees can usually be done in less than 2 full years, and there are usually a lot of job opportunities available to people with a trade. You could have a job that you don’t necessarily love and save up your money to pursue one of your dreams. </p>

<p>Unfortunately I am not too familiar in jobs that don’t require a college degree because college is what I want to do after high school, but I know there are a ton of jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for your response, Bandgeek1. I am about to dive into that link you gave me. Vocational school is an excellent suggestion. I’m going to be researching that as well to figure out what sorts of things I can go for. </p>

<p>The thing is, I want to do something that I would at least like somewhat. I don’t feel that life is really worth living if I have to do something I hate 40+ hours a week. I will find something, I hope. Thank you very much again.</p>

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<p>just follow your heart. haha that’s so cliche, i know, but its true!</p>

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<p>Where did you get the idea to breed wild mammals? Do you have dyscalculia? </p>

<p>Maybe just tell yourself not to think about college for 2 years or some amount of time - think about all other things. obviously there’s other productive things you can do, and you seem pretty motivated. If things work out, then good. If they don’t, you can always still go to college, if it seems easier then.</p>

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<p>You could always be a welder… Little schooling, good cash. Or an underwater welder. Interesting job, little schooling, and really really really high pay.</p>

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<p>Mandypandy - Thank you, I’ll actually try and do that. It’s just hard to tell right now what my heart is saying as what my brain is saying is getting in the way!</p>

<p>Enfieldacademy - Where did I get the idea to breed wild mammals? It started with a love of animals as a child, and stemmed from there, progressing down a long path. Probably really started in my mind when I bought a live animal from a fur farm. I don’t want a fur farm, though. I’d just do a small scale hobby breeding project and provide more natural habitats for the animals. I’d probably just have a breeding pair. And is the dyscalculia question supposed to be related to the breeding wild mammal question? I don’t see the correlation. But I have never been diagnosed with any disorders, so as far as I know, I do not have dyscalculia. </p>

<p>And the problem is, that if I put off college, I may not get the opportunity to go in the future. Right now, I live with my parents, but if I’m not in college, there’s no reason to stay with them. Once I’m on my own, it would be much harder to go back, especially full time. 2 years is a smaller amount of time so I could possibly still stay with them while I work things out, though I’m not sure if my father will let me.</p>

<p>EliKresses - That is a good suggestion, though it’s not something that would suit me nor is it something that interests me. My boyfriend went to school for welding, got out, did it, hated it, and quit.</p>

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<p>Ohh, you’re a girl, oops. Or you could be a homosexual male, I suppose. Doesn’t really matter thouh haha, that has nothing to do with anything. Well, to make a point, you can still be very successful without going to college. My dad has a friend from high school who never went to college, but now he’s the regional manager of a large bank. My dad, on the other hand, has an engineering degree from a pretty well respected institution, and only makes about $45,000 a year. I don’t know how much my dad’s friend makes, but it’s definitely a lot more than my dad is making! And most people, too, haha(: And though I highly doubt it interests you, hmm, truck drivers make good money. And hmm, you could be a veterinary technician, that only takes two years of schooling.</p>

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<p>Ask the same question in [the</a> parent’s forum](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/]the”>Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums) of CC. </p>

<p>Trust me on this.</p>

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<p>Yes, plz post in the parents section. I just replied to someone there, I would say the same to you.</p>

<p>You need to shake off the gloominess a little bit, have faith. Try some different options and something will stand out. Goodluck!</p>

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<p>Not to say a woman can’t weld, but…it’s not stereotypically a female job. Thanks for sharing about your father and his friend. It does seem to go that way sometimes…though probably not usually. </p>

<p>My current program at the community college is Vet Tech…but people who are vet techs told me it’s pointless to go to school because it’s not required and vets prefer to hire those who have no degrees so they can pay them less and train them how they want. To put it plainly, it sucks.</p>

<p>Hairy Lemon - Nice name, I like it. And the parent’s forum section is the one other section I considered posting this one in but I felt that this somehow made more sense. I would post it there also but that doesn’t seem like something I should do. I’m sure the responses would be different and would encourage me to go to college I’m guessing, as they’re from adults who have been there, done that, got the t-shirt, eh?</p>

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<p>Would you consider going to college overseas? The university system in the UK is different than the system here and might be more in-step with what you are looking for. You do not spend eons doing courses that have nothing to do with your major, and it is not at all like high school here.</p>

<p>I would encourage you to at least have a look at UK uni before making a decision to drop out of school totally.</p>

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<p>That actually would be really awesome. I would love to just leave everything behind and go, start over sort of. Grow, change, become someone new. I think that would be just awesome, but it is difficult also, so much to arrange and so much to endure. If I did even want to come back, would the degree or whatever that I got from there be “as good” or valid in the US? Honestly…I don’t know if I’d want to come back. The UK is one of the few places I’ve ever wanted to travel to.</p>

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<p>I would advise you to carefully think this over. There’s nothing wrong with starting out at a community college. It will be way more affordable than a large scale university, and you will have time to find something you enjoy. While it is true that going to college doesn’t open every opportunity to you, it certainly will close some doors and limit what you can do in the future. So please think this over and make a decision afterwards. It’s also important to note, though, that college isn’t for everyone.</p>