From the time we start kindergarten, we’re told education is king. I’m not debunking that fact, but you ought to do your research before you build your hopes and dreams of a perfect future on college. The Hollywood version of college doesn’t exist.
Here are 10 things you might not know:
- Not everyone should go to college. I know I just made a few parents cover your eyes over that statement, but truth is college isn’t for everyone. The benefit of attending higher educations is learning to answer to a wide variety of individuals who hold the power of your grades. It’s learning to think in an organized problem-solving, goal-seeking linear manner. Depending on your experience, degrees aren’t always the way to open doors. Some professions you can learn on-the-job skills. But let’s be real, if you want to be a brain surgeon, college is mandatory. If your desire is to be a dental assistant, finding a patient dentist willing to teach, can net the same outcome.
- Be sure you don’t pay more for college than you’re going to make in the job you’re preparing for. I’ve seen students rack up $200K in student loans to be equipped for a $50K a year job. The upfront investment often doesn’t match the earning potential following graduation.
- You don’t have to know what you want to do to go to college. Sometimes going to college will help you eliminate what you don’t want to do following graduation. Prior to attending college, and during your first two years of college education, work for free at as many places as it takes to point a clear direction to your dream job. I always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. After spending one day working with a vet, I was done. I never thought about actually seeing animals sick, hurt and in pain, it broke my heart. When I switched to a school assistant’s part-time position, I fell in love with teaching.
- You’re a Little Fish in a Big Pond. When you left high school or even your town, you were most likely a big fish in a little pond. You may have been the academic scholar or the town’s athletic hero, and now you’ll find yourself in a pool of the same caliber. Let it spur you on to be all you can be, but also be okay with being average.
- Mind your Manners. Professors have connections and they’re always impressed with go-getters. Keep in mind, that every class, every teacher is a potential pathway to where you want to go. Dress the part, speak professionally, mind your manners—trust me, networking opens doors.
- Social Media Faux Pas. Teachers, students, potential employers are on social media. Keep your party shots, your under-dressed selfies, your rants and raves in a scrapbook under your bed, not on your social media. I know you can set your page to private, but are you paying attention as to how often private isn’t private anymore?
- You Don’t Have to Know What You Want to Do After Graduation. Often college graduates still don’t know what they want to do once they have their degree in hand. Majors can be somewhat general in nature to give you lateral movement in the job force. Degrees often open doors for jobs while you’re figuring out what you want to do. Be gentle with yourself, The Wall Street Journal’s study says the average person changes careers 5-7 times over a lifetime.
- Get over the Idea You’ll Party all the time. Truth is college is your job and it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll do if you plan to succeed. Will you party? Yes, following finals each semester, but more likely you’ll want to sleep! Higher education requires your full attention. When you’re not in class, you’re studying for the class or completing assignments. You might even have a job to support you financially. What you’ll value at semester breaks is sleeping in and reconnecting with family and friends back home.
- Money will be tight. Gone are the days you can show up and dinner is ready for you (unless you’re living at home while attending college). Gone are the days that the refrigerator is fully stocked. You’ll learn to value 350 ways to cook Top Raimen© Noodle and will embrace left-overs. Your definitions of luxuries verses necessities will change.The morning mocha will become a luxury, you’ll learn to drink black coffee.
- College doesn’t prepare you for the real world. College will hand you the tools, explain what they do and how you can use them to your advantage, but the real work begins after graduation. The world will become your classroom.
Should you go to college? Only you can decide AND only you should decide. Don’t go because you’ve been fed it all your life, go because you’ve done your job research, college researches, cost verses wages homework and understand your unique learning style. If you can check all those boxes, then by all means E-mail that college application and embrace the college experience.
