High school seniors hear over and over again how important it is for them to attend college. Many of those students sign up for their freshman year and end up dropping out, flunking out, or regretting having attended. For many, the problem was not the choice of schools or programs but the timing and reason for attending at all; they were the wrong reasons.
The most important step is to consider your motivation for attending college. Are you going because you want to have the party experience? Are you thinking college will be easier than getting a full-time job? Are you attending because your parents said they would pay for it? Are you going because your friends are?
All these are the wrong reasons to go to college. They indicate a lack of enthusiasm for attending classes, which leads directly to expulsion from college for poor grades or negative behavior. College is not high school; it takes time and determination to succeed. You cannot skip classes due to a hangover, boredom, or a lover’s quarrel. Extensions for papers and projects are not typically granted for such banal causes, either. You must have the motivation to attend class and do assignments.
Going to college to achieve a career can be the wrong reason, as well, since some career goals don’t require a degree. While attending college isn’t usually a bad idea, it can waste precious time and money for those who don’t need it. For instance, an entrepreneur can probably get more financial backing and a better understanding of business with a degree. However, working in a similar business for several years can be even more illuminating and much less costly. Consider how helpful a degree will really be for you in your career at this point.
Even going to college to get a promotion from your current employer can be for the wrong reason or at the wrong time. If you have a job that has advancement opportunities you are interested in, examine the requirements and benefits of those positions as well as your current job.
Often, companies will help pay for schooling at a certain level or even send employees to their own educational activities. If money is a concern to you but you feel you have a real chance of getting a management position within the next couple of years that has a tuition assistance program, for example, you might consider putting off current plans for college and working toward that promotion instead.
Students are also often told that they can go to college if they have no idea what they want to do, and that is true. Attending college can help you define your skills and discover new concepts that can shape your future. But it can be difficult to succeed without a goal. Life experience and job experience can also help you find a path toward a rewarding career. Even if a college degree is required for that career, you can always return to school when you’ve made a decision, and then you will not have enrolled for the wrong reasons.
High school students who just want to further their education and have no major in mind can certainly attend college and have a meaningful experience. But they should not feel pressured into attending if college is not right for them at that time. Later in life, they should not feel that they wasted time and money in higher education. They should not have the wrong reasons for attending when they do.
