In the little town that I grew up in, you're taught that to make a life for yourself, you have to go to college, get a degree, and keep continuing your education. You're taught that the only people who are successful are those who earn a degree within an up and coming field of study. I can honestly say that I am embarrassed for those people who engraved that idea into my mind. I am disappointed that younger generations to grow up, are being told the same lies. I chose to go to college but I didn't have to.

Whether people want to believe it or not, you get paid for your skill level. You don't get paid on the basis of how expensive your higher education was. You're not paid on the amount of loans you have, or according to your credit score. Yes, I decided to attend a $40,000 private college far from home, but that was my choice and what was best for me. I used to look down on classmates for attending vocational school, but now looking back, they were probably the smartest out of all of us. Of course the vocational school I had the option of attending did not have my intended field of study, I am almost positive a finance degree is only found in university settings. While I plan on making a decent amount of cash when I finally graduate, I still have to pay back nearly $60,000 in student loans. In all honesty, that will probably be my entire yearly salary, if I'm lucky.

If I would've gone to Vocational school I would've already been working in whatever field I would have decided to study. I would've graduated with industrial quality welding skills or being able to run my own restaurant. I could've been a practicing beautician my senior year of highschool! I would have been able to graduate high school with a STNA license with nursing school credits out of the way! Why would anyone not take advantage of this?! Oh, Wait, it's because the high school I attended didn't like the vocational school. They felt we could have a better education from staying where we were, in the boring, lecturing classrooms. I learned to look down on those who left because the community I grew up in, did exactly that. I know not everyone felt this way, but the force was so strong that you couldn't help to give in to it.

If any high school students are reading this and are on the fence about being left out if you leave, do whatever you think is right and don't listen to others. If they're your real friends, then they'll respect your choice and love you anyway. I applaud any and everyone who goes to vocational school or to a cheaper option that gives them the education they need to be -- wait for it-- SUCCESSFUL.

I put so much emphasis on the word choice because your future is your choice. It is your future, why would you let anyone tell you there is only one way to have a successful life? The students I graduated with that learned welding or nursing at vocational school are already better off than I am, and I still have business suits and student loans to pay for.