There are endless amounts of excuses used to justify why people do not move on to a higher education once they receive their high school diploma. If you feel the need to explain your reasoning for refusing to better yourself, it must mean that you know you are hindering your intellect. Sure, everyone's life moves at different paces. People have babies, people have full-time jobs and people have to put family first at times. These are a few of the acceptable reasons for putting education on hold. However, there are far too many poor excuses.
My favorite overused excuse for declining the college experience is the "I don't have the money for that" line. Before even spitting these obvious words out of your mouth, think, does any other student have the money for this? The answer to this question is no. I don't know any student who has been comfortable with the cost of tuition. However, there are billions of dollars up for student loan grabs that don't accrue interest until six months after graduating. Not only this, but grants are almost always given to students when they apply for FAFSA. Additionally, the longer you are in school, the more scholarships you may receive. Scholarships for ethnicity, scholarships for being a first generation student and scholarships for having a good academic standing. Remember, the money you put towards your education is the money you will receive in the long long, plus much more.
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Another line used all too often is, "I'm fine with the job I have right now". To me, the word "fine" indicates comfortableness within one's professional life. I firmly believe that if you are not scared or excited about your dreams, you are definitely not pushing yourself hard enough. Being comfortable in your current situation means you will never know what else is out there; what else you may love. Risk-taking is essential to a successful and satisfying life. Take the few years out of your long life to spend in a university, technical school or in a work site where individuals can earn licenses in certain trades. Even if you find you don't enjoy it, they won't last forever.
In opposition to believing you are already pleased with your current career, there are people who have no idea what they would study in college. This is another reason people do not enroll. For the record, many students are in the same boat. They have no idea what their major is until their second year of college. The reason they do end up figuring it out is due to general education courses and electives. These first and second-year classes give students a preview of many subjects they would be interested in studying forever, and subjects they never want to associate themselves with again. This means that these people are learning more about themselves as they learn about numerous studies.
An additional excuse for no college is the idea that people simply just don't have the time. Although I can agree that the older we get, the more hours we need in our days. However, at a young age before children, some young adults do have the time to invest in themselves. Before jumping into a full-time job that you may not even enjoy right after high school, take the chance and see if a degree is a better option for yourself. Campuses work with students to help them receive campus jobs or paid internships which help pay for a decent living and pay off some school bills. Not to mention, the majority of these part-time work opportunities allows students to complete homework during down time. Huge bonus! If you do however wish to continue working full time, many universities have implemented online, weekend or night classes.
While there is a laundry list of excuses used by people who have yet to go to school, these were the few I needed to conquer. Regardless of a person's situation, there is always a way. Unless students are being supported by a full-ride to college or payments made by parents who can afford it, it isn't easy for any student. These hard times lay the foundation for strong, independent and motivated people who learn to face challenges head on, especially through an education.
For those who choose to undergo apprenticeships, certification courses or internships straight out of high school, these are great learning experiences as well which lead to successful careers. As long as you are willing to push yourself out of the bubble of basic job opportunities that anyone could achieve, you are overcoming the "comfortableness".
