Is College Necessary?

It’s not talked about enough how it is okay to go to community college or take a gap year (or more) after high school. There is the stigma around community college and how it’s for those who aren’t smart enough to go to “real” college. Many people enter a four-year college not knowing what they want to do, or some do but then once classes start think about switching their major. Instead of going to a university while going into debt when not knowing what you want, go to a community college and get those general education credits for half the price you would pay at university.

Gap years can be good things for some people. I knew personally if I had taken a gap year I wouldn’t have gone back to school. For others, I believe this can be a good thing. Then again I still have yet to work a job where I needed my four-year degree, so here I am doing jobs I could have done without going into thousands of dollars of debt.

That being said I did get things out of my time living campus life and getting a degree. A degree that as of right now may at times feel “useless.” I grew in a lot of ways going to a four-year college (or for me five). I had to share my space with a stranger my freshman year. That was my first time sharing a space with someone in such an intimate way. My freshman roommate and I had maybe three conversations the entire time we shared a room. Now, we can talk for hours and she has become one of my truest friends. I don’t know what changed in between. Aside from the obvious of us maturing and witnessing a new world.

Now that I am past that part of my life, I have struggled with almost regretting my decision to go to the college I went to and when I went. I went to a private university, so extra expensive. I knew I was going to take out loans so in my head I was going to go into debt no matter where I went. I went into the process of college with that mindset and not much thought. I applied to two colleges and got into them both. One was because my friend applied, and the other was the one I went to. The one I went to was in ways the comfort school. The school which was fifteen minutes away from home. The school where I took classes at when I was in high school. The school my cousins attended and worked at. It was familiar. I originally wanted to commute but my cousin highly encouraged me to live in a dorm freshman year. If I hated it then I could commute next year. I am glad she gave me that advice and that I actually took it. Looking back it was a big step for me, even though I went home most weekends. I did end up commuting the next year (not particularly by choice) and wished I was on campus most of the time. Despite being a commuter I had spent most of my time on campus that year. I did enjoy having my own space that being on campus didn’t provide. I missed the community that being on campus provides. I then spent the following two years on campus all year round. Mainly because I no longer had a home off-campus. So, the campus became my home.

There are a lot of people who spend a bunch of money to go to four-year colleges solely for the campus life aspect of it. It does bring a lot of goodness. When I reflect on what I got out of campus life and the college I went to I can see a lot of good. After I cry about how much debt I am in. I see all that I got out of spending life on campus. I got a family and community out of it. Most of my closest friends and family by choice came from going to this college. There are so many things that I could have done differently before and during the college process. Some things I wish people advised high schoolers about.

I will deal with those decisions because the good outweighs the bad. College saved me (while nearly killing me ha).

I wish I was more aware financially about everything. Like I said I had the mindset of “I am going into debt no matter what” so I didn’t compare prices to different places. It wasn’t until I looked at the school I had planned to go to when I was a child. A school that is considered expensive. I looked at the price of it about halfway into my years in college. It was nearly half the price I was currently paying for college. That was how unaware I was about the financial aspects of everything. If I knew back then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have chosen the college I graduated from.

I have done a lot of healing. A lot of healing that I did at my school that I maybe would not have been able to do at a different school. I went to a private Christian university so I was put into an environment that prevented me from being in a typical environment that other colleges have. At the time, it was probably a good thing for me and affected how I dealt with my pain.

As someone who is now in their mid-twenties (which how did that happen) I have a better grasp of who I am. I do have better stability in myself and some of my relationships. Something that I believe would change how I dealt with the stress that comes from college. I probably wouldn’t have changed my major as much. I do know what major of study I would do if I could go back and do it again. Ironically, the only major I had but never took any classes for.

Even if I had gone for that major the first time I still most likely would have had a similar up and down. Also, the people who mean the most to me wouldn’t have crossed my path. The communication department and the people in it are who got me to graduation.

I do encourage those applying to colleges to not be as whatever when it comes to financing and options of schools. Research or ask someone. If you are unsure about what you want to do, take some general education courses from a community college. Take a course in an area you think you might want to go in. It will save you money in the long run.

As much as there are things that I wish I had known during the process of looking at colleges, that knowledge wouldn’t have taken me on the path that I went. There are also life circumstances that I was given that affected my college experience too. Slowly but surely I am learning to be okay with that and not wish I was someone with a different circumstance.

It’s okay if you never go to college. It’s okay if you go to college “on time.” It’s okay if you go to college “late.”

There is no right time in life.