Is it a big deal to not want to go to college?

Well, college isn't mandatory and it's not for everyone, but it's getting harder and harder to get a good job without having a degree. And it's getting harder to get a job even WITH a bachelor's degree, since many jobs now require an advance degree.

It's important to remember that, in college, you get to choose your classes. You can pick your major and spend much of your time in classes related to that subject.

For what it's worth, I know plenty of people who've said, "I don't need a degree, there are lots of great jobs out there that don't require one." And most of those people do NOT have a good job. Most are working at least one part-time job and barely making ends meet, or they're working several part-time jobs and barely making ends meet. Personally, I know one person who has a pretty good job without a degree, while two people very close to me without a degree are just scraping by. And I know many others both with and without a degree who aren't doing great.

It's certainly possible to be successful if you don't go to college, but the odds aren't great. Sure, even WITH a college degree it's not a guarantee that you will be successful, but it at least gives you a leg up over most people who don't have a degree. It's all about how hard you work, and without a degree you're going to have to work even harder to be successful.

I wasn't a social butterfly in high school - I only had a couple close friends, I was teased a lot, I felt like a big nerd that nobody understood, I was teased a lot, and I didn't date. Then I got to college, and within a month I had many friends, I was involved in several activities, and I dated several people. I really blossomed once I got to an environment where I didn't feel stupid just being myself.

Your family is encouraging you to go to college because they love you and they want what's best for you ... and also because they've been around longer than you and they've seen with their own eyes what happens to people who don't go to college.

You haven't even tried college yet, so you can't say that it's "not for you." At least go for a couple semesters to see what happens. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, go to a community college or a junior college.

Honestly if you don't want to go to college move out after you graduate and get a job. And move at least an hour away so you distance yourself from you family and learn to become self-sufficient and adapt to an environment where you barely know anyone. Work for a year and than maybe give college a go for a year, and if it's not your thing its not, but at least you tried. That is probably the single most important thing I got out of college; the ability to make it through a difficult situation on your own and know that you don't need your family. The transition freshman year was tough but it really fostered my independence and taught me that I could go anywhere and not end up on the street homeless.. I guess life skills, but if you don't know what you want to do give it a bit. There is still the ability to make a living w/o college your just going to have to work from the bottom up, and be tight on money for a bit.

Many parents simply assume that attending college will lead to a better life and ask their children to attend. In semesters when I did provide college teaching, I spoke to several students in the office who did not seem to be in the right place. After asking some questions, it often appeared I was incorrect. However, sometimes I advised the student to consider leaving and we discussed it. One example is below, if interested.

At seven p.m. one evening, a student who I gave a message to meet me at that time was at the classroom. "Is this your first semester, Carl?" "Yes" "Do you have an idea what you will major in?" "No" "And are you truly planning to serve in the military (as you have said before)?" "Absolutely." (I double checked the last answer and heard the same response.)
"Then, what I would advise you to do, Carl, is to go down to (name of town nearby) and go ahead and sign up to do your military service now. Do that now and you will be three years older when you begin your college education. You might have a better idea as to what you want to study if you come back. And there are some who end up staying in the military for twenty or more years. You may end up deciding you would like to stay there and they need someone. Sound like a good idea?" Note: I said that I would understand if he did not return to class again. He never returned and I assume he left the school during the next week.

It is not a big deal but nowadays everyone is going to college so you are in an even bigger competition if you don't go, maybe you did not study something you liked, if you did not find your passion yet that is why, but also if you find out you don't enjoy other things you are studying, it is kind of a waste of time and money to spend on it, you have to ge willing to work hard and do your best if you want to be sucessful and land a job after college, but if you slack off during college, you will be wasting time and not preparing

College is not as mandatory as people think, but you should have a clear idea in mind, what you want to be in the future. There is an option of distance learning, so you can complete a degree and job parallel. You can join any professional course apart from the job which helpful to improve your skills and also beneficial to get more good opportunity in life.

College isn't mandatory and while I was reading your question, I was only wondering, "Well, what the hell does this person intend on doing with their life?" And then I read that you enlisted in the army. And for that, if you don't plan on being an Officer, you don't need university or college. All you need is basic training and then all the stuff that follows that (additional training and there's some school stuff that focuses on training, but I don't know all that much about it, especially the US military).

BUT, what happens if you join and military and you realize that it's really not for you? What happens then? You have nothing to fall back on once you leave the military, really. Even lots of trades require college diplomas, and these days cops look for university degrees. There's not MUCH you can do without even so much as a college diploma, let alone a Bachelor's degree. Maybe when you're older, you can choose to go down that route. But if you love the army, maybe you'll just keep moving up the ranks and retire with a lovely pension.

If you really do not want to go to college you should not go. By asking your question here it looks like you are doubtful about not going since you are seeking support for your position.

You stated well what you do not want to do but were not specific about what you do want to do although going to the army may be one option. You shoud consider a trade school or a two year college where you can learn a trade.

Good luck.

If you're really not sold on college, the military's certainly a solid alternative. But I gotta tell you, most of the soldiers I know took full advantage of their benefits to get a degree when they got out, or even while they were still in the service. I suspect it's because they learn what the people who get the most benefit from college either learn there or already know: if you want to be successful, you can't just focus on the stuff that appeals to you and ignore the rest. You need to look for connections and opportunities in every new piece of information you're presented with, and occasionally just suck it up and do what needs to get done so it's not standing in the way of you focusing on what really matters.

It's really not a big deal, IF you know what you want to do instead of college. I would say this, if you don't want to go to college, figure out what you want to do and QUICK because unfortunately parents and guidance councilors don't prepare you for the real world. You are competing against every other adult in this country for jobs. If you want a good job you don't need a degree, you'll need experience and expertise in a field like maybe being an electrician or a retail manager. However, any field outside of that is pretty much going to require schooling to some extent. Anything in computers, anything in engineering, and anything that makes over 50K a year for the most part. (Not every job but most). I would also say that school isn't bad. I HATED high school and school just wasn't for me. I had good grades but I faked it until I made it. I went through the motions and that was about it. Once I got to college I realized that it had a lot more to offer than boring and monotonous lectures. There is such a wide field of things to study. Engineering, technology, science, astronomy, writing, even gaming!

In the end, I'd simply say that if you know what you DON'T want, then quickly figure out what you DO want and just dive into it full force. This market is too saturated with people looking for jobs to not do anything. Make a plan, and stick to it.

College is not as mandatory as people think, but you should have a clear idea in mind, what you want to be in the future. There is an option of distance learning, so you can complete a degree and job parallel. You can join any professional course apart from the job which helpful to improve your skills and also beneficial to get more good opportunity in life.