What To Do Instead of Going to College Immediately After High School

Going to college immediately after you graduate is a waste of money.

Here's a better alternative for becoming an adult that will definitely end in you being less in debt and more responsible:

1. Break up with your girlfriend / boyfriend - Yeah, you might disagree, but high school relationship aren't the best thing for you right now. Try going stag for awhile until you can get your head on straight and your feet firmly on the ground. Relationships can pull you in the wrong directions, and this is a bad time in your life to start down the wrong path, or get latched on to someone who expects your relationship to last forever.

2. Create a Temporary Plan - What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Where will you live? Where will you work? How will living a day in your life feel?

3. Graduate from High School - Get done, grab the degree, take some photos, and remember to smile.

4. Get a Job and Make a Plan - Get an apartment and live on your own for a year or two. Don't get a roommate unless you can't help it. Figure out how to pay bills, work, and be an adult. Learn what you like and what you don't. Grow up.

5. Decide what you want - How do you want your day to go? Do you want to sleep late or wake up early? Do you want to have time to eat breakfast, or always rush, rush, rush? What kind of life do you want to lead? How much money do you want to make? What do you want to do for fun or on vacation?

6. Figure out what you need - Do you need a 4 year degree to do what you want? Do you need a 2 year degree? Do you need any extra school at all? Do you need to buy books or train yourself? Can you train yourself instead of going back to school? The sky is the limit, and you have all the potential in the world so long as you don't work yourself in a corner or talk yourself out of pursuing your dream.

7. Pursue your dream job - Read books, train yourself, or go back to school. Do whatever it takes to achieve your dream job. Always pursue with a single minded, focused determination so you finish faster than you need to and excel in everything you touch.

There are a whole list of accepted "truths" about college that are being broken by my advice. The fact is, going to college without a clear path or plan is a terrible idea. If you can save yourself a lot of money, time, and frustration by cooling your heels for awhile, why not take the time you need to figure things out and become an adult first?

You lose nothing by taking your time and creating a plan.
But you will gain responsibility and knowledge from experience by living on your own.

Most people won't understand you though. They won't get why you're not running straight off to college to get a degree like all the other good girls and boys. Don't even bother to explain to everyone that college is expensive and you want to spend your money wisely on only the education you need.

The simple fact is, most people have fantastical ideas of what college life is like, especially if they've never been there before.

Most people also have illogical views about how quickly you can pay off your student loans, and how much more money you will make with a bachelor's degree verses just a high school diploma.

Your life is your life. You need to decide what you want and ignore the opinions of stupid, illogical people. Concentrate on growing up, being responsible, and fostering a high self esteem and you will be successful at anything you put your mind to.

My name is Leah Day. I'm a college drop out, but I'm also smart, successful, and extremely happy with my life. Halfway through my Biology degree I realized that I didn't want to work in that field. I really just wanted to work from home on the Internet, and pursuing that worthless degree was just holding me back from my dreams.

I had the strength to drop out, and I actually think better of myself for having the balls to do that, even when my family didn't understand. I just wish I had had the foresight to not go to college from the beginning, but eventually it has all turned out all right anyway.

I firmly believe that high school and college degrees don't make responsible adults. Responsibility can only come from living like an adult on your own. Unless you know how to pay bills, go to work, and live your life outside of your parent's house, how will you know what you be or do with your life?

© Leah Day Online: What to do Instead of Going to College Immediately after High School