Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I Don't Want To Go To College!
Hey Guidance Guy!
Everyone, including all of my teachers, says that I'm a really smart kid and I'm going to go far in life. They are all trying to get me to go to university or at the very least, college. But I don't want to. But now they are all saying that I am throwing my life away. I don't know how to tell them that I don't want to go and that I don't need to. I can do fine in life without going.
Please help.
~Confuzzled
*****
Dear Confuzzled,
This is a very interesting letter you've written! It would be interesting to find out how old you are, and if you'll be graduating from school soon.
Let's start with this: people who go to college (and graduate) tend to make more money over time than people who don't. And the more college you go to (master's degree, PhD. etc), the more they make.
Now that doesn't mean you have to go to college to make lots of money, or have a great career, or even be happy. Many people without college degrees have great careers that they enjoy and provide everything they want.
The opposite is true also. Some people with college education never find what they want. They are unhappy, poor and wish they had done something else.
One of the advantages of going to college is that you can learn some amazing things. You can learn about how computers work, or why people behave in certain ways, or how wars get started, or thousands of other things. Of course you can learn these other ways, but college is the education of choice for many people.
Another advantage of going to college is that you may have more choices in life. In many jobs people with college degrees will get hired before people without them.
You may be able to do fine in life without college...many people do. What I recommend is that you get a picture of what you'd like your life to be like. It doesn't have to be perfect, but decide what kind of LIFESTYLE you would like.
Once you build a picture of your life of the future, think about the best ways of getting it. It may involve going to college, or it may involve learning in other ways. Keep an open mind.
I think it's cool you're not giving in to pressure from other people and what THEY think is right. Do the right thing for you. But first figure out what that right thing is.
Thanks for a great letter,
The Guidance Guy
Everyone, including all of my teachers, says that I'm a really smart kid and I'm going to go far in life. They are all trying to get me to go to university or at the very least, college. But I don't want to. But now they are all saying that I am throwing my life away. I don't know how to tell them that I don't want to go and that I don't need to. I can do fine in life without going.
Please help.
~Confuzzled
*****
Dear Confuzzled,
This is a very interesting letter you've written! It would be interesting to find out how old you are, and if you'll be graduating from school soon.
Let's start with this: people who go to college (and graduate) tend to make more money over time than people who don't. And the more college you go to (master's degree, PhD. etc), the more they make.
Now that doesn't mean you have to go to college to make lots of money, or have a great career, or even be happy. Many people without college degrees have great careers that they enjoy and provide everything they want.
The opposite is true also. Some people with college education never find what they want. They are unhappy, poor and wish they had done something else.
One of the advantages of going to college is that you can learn some amazing things. You can learn about how computers work, or why people behave in certain ways, or how wars get started, or thousands of other things. Of course you can learn these other ways, but college is the education of choice for many people.
Another advantage of going to college is that you may have more choices in life. In many jobs people with college degrees will get hired before people without them.
You may be able to do fine in life without college...many people do. What I recommend is that you get a picture of what you'd like your life to be like. It doesn't have to be perfect, but decide what kind of LIFESTYLE you would like.
Once you build a picture of your life of the future, think about the best ways of getting it. It may involve going to college, or it may involve learning in other ways. Keep an open mind.
I think it's cool you're not giving in to pressure from other people and what THEY think is right. Do the right thing for you. But first figure out what that right thing is.
Thanks for a great letter,
The Guidance Guy
