This is for the people who haven't figured out their drive yet, for the people who are still searching and still debating on whether they even want to go to college anymore, for the people who just flat out don't fucking know. And I'm going to tell you that you're going to be just fine.
We have all sat in a classroom with the smarter kids, the 3.9 GPA kids, the ones who have a drive in life, the parents who pushed them to be better, who knew what college they planned on going to and made that decision right after their junior year. Who put effort into reaching their goals in going further in life. We see your Facebook posts about that opportunity you got, and how you "worked your ass off," to get there. We read your blog posts on how a sorority made you better and how it changed your life. We're reading those "how college is different," "how hard it is to be a college athlete," "what it's like to study abroad," and the "college/party life." And just know, we are all cheering you on from the sidelines. We, the underdogs, are happy that you are experiencing all these things that we aren't.
But let's talk about the non-college life, working forty hours a week to make ends meet, no idea what the fuck I'm doing and don't even know how I am doing it.
Our lives might not seem as interesting as yours, and we might not have it figured out yet but were semi okay with that. Just because were doing things a little different, doesn't make it wrong. We still have plenty of interesting stories to tell that doesn't require us to start with, "So I was at this party and.." were still making it through each day. We still have stress, and bad days. We are practically already where you will be in four years or less. We are learning and growing in a different way than you are. We are experiencing life at a different level, that might be above or below your expectations. We are following a different path, a different way of life that we chose right after high school. And some of us might of tried college, I know I did. I tried it twice and knew it wasn't for me. I knew that I couldn't make myself do it, I'm also very thankful that I have parent's who understood where I was coming from. Sometimes we feel guilty for not playing by the rules and doing what is considered, "the right decision." But you know, it is what is it. I know plenty of people who are on their own adventure, traveling that isn't studying abroad, who have moved out of the house and found a great job they love without worrying about debt. Those are my kind of people, who aren't doing life by the rules. We are the kind of people who don't have an arrow to follow. We have a different kind of drive in life that doesn't come within, we are the day by day people. Our grass is still green on this side of the fence.
And for the people who didn't make it through high school, who didn't graduate, you're doing just fine too.
There are so many of us out there who feel like we aren't going to make it, and feel like maybe we should have tried harder and maybe if I did this differently. We have more "what ifs," than you could imagine. But I know deep down that the people who made a choice for themselves is always a better choice than someone else making a choice for them. Learning to accept that choice will better you, and better your outlook on the non-college life. Who knows, maybe one day we will make the choice to go to college, but right now were living a path of "don't ask me, I don't know, I just work everyday."
We are just going to have to work twice as hard, go to bed earlier, and learn how to budget really fast. But were going to make it out just fine. We are who we are, we're the underdogs of this generation, the ones who just don't fucking know, yet.