By Tosha Sambhus
Throughout high school, students are told that we are being primed fora four-year college and that the purpose of high school is to prepare you for a higher education. However, a four-year college isn’t an option available to everyone, whether it’s due to the crazy expenses or just indifference towards the idea. And that’s okay. Despite society’s insistence, a four-year college isNOT necessary for you to get your dream job.According to a study done by the McKinsey consulting firm, nearly 48 percent of employed college graduates are working jobs that don’t require a degree. Think about that for a second. Nearly half of college graduates areworking jobs that could have been obtained by non college-goers. So why are we spending so much time and money going to a four-year college wheninstead, we could use the six years that we spend there doing more productive work? (Yes, the average student spends six years at college, notfour). Here are some things you could be doing instead of attending a four-year college.
1.Community college and transfer
This is an option that’s been mentioned time and time again and it hasn’t received its due credit. Spending two years paying the tuition for a community college but graduating with a four-year degree is cheaper and more clever choice. Community college can act as an important exploration tool. High school students are expected to know what their dream job would be, and choose a major accordingly. But the teenage years are a time of confusion and self-discovery, so if you graduate without a direction, community college can help you find a purpose. Class times are flexible, if you want to work while studying. Jobs like nursing and air traffic control don’t require more than an Associate’s degree, so transferring is not necessary. Some occupations that require a license don’t even need a degree. For Example, aspiring realtors can take real estate courses, pass the licensing test and start selling homes.
2.Freelance work/Small business
Freelance work is becoming more and more accessible to the public.Designers and artists can sell commissions successfully off websites like Etsy And Fiverr with practically no business experience. Freelance workers(whether it’s music, art or design) can make a living wage from these websites. Social media influencers can also bring in substantial income.Starting a business has never been easier. All you need is a computer and internet connection. Many students at MHS, design and sell clothes on Instagram or other social media platforms. Some students also went on to produce professional music, all without a college education.
3. Technical short term education programs
These new programs are training people in an intensive, fast-paced environment, with little to no debt. Most programs finish in a year, so their students can be integrated into the workforce as soon as possible. Depending on their student’s salary, they will charge a certain amount, and they won’t charge at all if they can’t afford it. For example, Lambda, an online school focused on computer science, trains their students in a ninth month program with 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. classes. Many students are making six figures after completing the program. If a student makes less than $50,000, Lambda Won’t charge them at all. When college students graduate, the students of Lambda will have three years of work experience and probably a highersalary.Other schools include Make School, Hack Reactor, and Holberton School. These programs are cheaper and more effective.
4.Apprenticeships and Fellowships
Apprenticeships are an opportunity to learn a trade from experienced professionals. More hands-on work is involved. Apprenticeships, like internships, can help you build relationships and connections in your professional field. Unlike internships, apprenticeships are usually paid.Apprentices don’t have to sacrifice an income in their pursuit of knowledge.Apprenticeships can act as a segue into enrollment at a technical school for specialization of a skill or directly into a job in your preferred field. Fellowship Programs provide funding for certain candidates based on their ideas. For Example, the Thiel Fellowship, sponsored by Paypal, invites people to apply with their best business plan so they can provide a winner with $100,000 to skip college and develop their idea. The winner will be mentored by experienced professionals, gaining valuable experience and knowledge.Fellowships similar to this one include Echoing Green, Praxis and UnCollegeGap Year.
There’s a more important question to be asked. How is this better than a four-year degree? Nowadays, a college degree is becoming less necessary. Employers are changing their job descriptions from ”college degree required” to “college degree preferred” or “may substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education”. Employers mainly look at “1) Do you have the technical skills to do the job? 2) How do you perform in the interview? 3) Do you seem like someone they could work alongside with?” School Counselor Cory Nakamoto said regarding the current job market.
Pursuing these alternatives would entirely eliminate student loans and student debt. Going to college for four years means you miss out on the opportunity to work full time. Most of these educational options rely on real life experience and you generally start working hands on within a year,as opposed to college where one would start an internship in three years on average. Working freelance or starting a business means that eventually you won’t need to rely on anyone else for income. At the end of the day, these options are more appealing than drowning in student debt.
