# Don't want to go to college



## starfire (Dec 21, 2010)

So I'm a senior in high school, and my first semester is just about over. As everyone knows, around this time everyone is starting to apply and prepare for college. I've begun to follow suit and have started to enroll in a community college and then eventually transfer to a 4-year university. But as I'm going through this process, I just keep feeling extremely discouraged about college in general. The more time I spend looking at majors and programs offered, the more I realize that absolutely nothing they have to offer interests me. I just feel so frustrated and confused. Everyone around me has this perfect picture of what they want, and I 'm absolutely lost.

Besides not knowing what I want, I am just so sick of school and am dying to get out. It's not that I have bad grades-in fact, I have a 4.1 GPA and am in the top 3% of my class. But I've loathed every second I've spent learning in a classroom. Pretty much every class I've taken has bored me to tears, as I'm the type of person who's much more "hands-on" than the traditional desk-and-chair style of learning. Besides all that, about 99% of things we learn in class will not make a bit of difference in the real world or in a real job. I would know because I actually have a job right now, and I can assure you that knowing all about the Battle of Bunker Hill does not prepare you for work. I've come to realize that legitimate, hard life experience has best prepared me and opened my eyes to the world of work, not some lousy English essays that don't affect your life outside of school whatsoever. I've become very bitter towards classroom learning for this reason, as I feel that it has done absolutely nothing for me in real life, and I could have learned it all by myself straight from a book, not a dreadful 80-minute class.

And lastly, I have just about had it with the immature, annoying antics of my peers. They are the primary reason I've lost almost all faith in humanity, as I've had to endure backstabbers, sexual harassment, and false rumors among hundreds of other horrible experiences I've had in high school. I'm surrounded by a bunch of superficial, shallow, ignorant, selfish people who have absolutely no morals or conscience. They show constant disrespect and insensitivity towards each other, and I'm about ready to tear my hair out just thinking about it. I just want to get away from it all, and I fear that college will be just the same as far as this issue goes.

So, any advice? Should I have more faith and go to college or am I just wasting my time?


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

Don't go. I wish I hadn't. I went and all I ended up with is debt and no job.


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## Sigrid (Dec 13, 2011)

Unless you have no other options, taking some time off could save you alot of money while you find something you really like. I know you might think 'everyone knows just what they want to do' its not true. I came from a small highschool and many of the graduates came to my University and others like it in my city. Because I still keep in touch with my old friends every time we talk they tell me about another old classmate that has either dropped out, gone to another school for something else or hates their life. Don't feel pressured to jump into something you hate. I went to University right out of Highschool and I had a very depressing year. My second year has been way better but I wish I could have gotten that time back instead of wasting my time and money. 

As for the peer thing, I am constantly surrounded by people I loath. (I live in a dorm) So alot of the immature kids are still in that phase right into University. The trick is just not to feel so personal. These people are so wrapped up into their own lives of sleeping around and getting wasted to notice anything else but their reflection. I create boundaries between me and these people, I just try to focus on the betterment of myself and grades while I slowly see their parents picking up their stuff because they failed miserably. 

I hope this helps, even though these people still exists its a helluva lot better than highschool, I feel anyways.


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## King Moonracer (Oct 12, 2010)

loquaciousintrovert said:


> don't go. I wish i hadn't. I went and all i ended up with is debt and no job.


america!!!!!!!


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

America, America, I am in debt to thee. lol.


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## Lmatic3030 (Nov 3, 2011)

Take your time to access what it is you want to do. Don't feel pressured to go into college if you really are not really ready.


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## foe (Oct 10, 2010)

Lmatic3030 said:


> Take your time to access what it is you want to do. Don't feel pressured to go into college if you really are not really ready.


This.

Take your time, explore life, figure out what you want and if college calls for it then go.


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## kooshi (Jan 10, 2011)

I am in the exact same situation. I just don't want to apply cause of going to a new place with nobody I kno... I also hate socializing with people I don't know. I'm just scared that I will be alone


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## MobiusX (Nov 14, 2008)

While in college, they have counseling and career services which can help you like by giving you a career test, and you get free counseling there for SA.


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## Cheesesteakjimmy (Dec 14, 2011)

There's also going to community and working full time and taking transferable credits only like math and English. Sciences tend to expire after 5 years. The rest last a life time. Working you're way up into a company while getting the basic credits and then transferring into a program that will give you a job promotion is a way to go. 

You still have health insurance until you're 26.


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## Relz (Oct 31, 2011)

starfire said:


> *Everyone around me has this perfect picture of what they want, and I 'm absolutely lost.*
> 
> Besides not knowing what I want, I am just so sick of school and am dying to get out. It's not that I have bad grades-in fact, I have a 4.1 GPA and am in the top 3% of my class. But I've loathed every second I've spent learning in a classroom. Pretty much every class I've taken has bored me to tears, as I'm the type of person who's much more "hands-on" than the traditional desk-and-chair style of learning. ... I've become very bitter towards classroom learning for this reason, as I feel that it has done absolutely nothing for me in real life, and *I could have learned it all by myself straight from a book, not a dreadful 80-minute class.*
> 
> I'm surrounded by a bunch of superficial, shallow, ignorant, selfish people who have absolutely no morals or conscience. They show constant disrespect and insensitivity towards each other, and I'm about ready to tear my hair out just thinking about it. I just want to get away from it all, and *I fear that college will be just the same as far as this issue goes.*


Most people probably aren't as together as you think they are. I was one of those people who "knew what they wanted" ...or at least I thought I was. I was going to major in genetics, go through graduate school, and do medical research. Now, two years into my genetics major, I want nothing to do with science. _Nothing._

You've perfectly summed up how I felt about all of my classes in high school and even now. I daydreamed and doodles through most of my class but ended up with high A's in all my classes because of how well I worked on my own. If you also think classrooms and lectures are bull****, maybe you could take online classes; I believe many colleges offer them now.

Yes, people will still be shallow and immature in college, but you'll likely deal with it much less. While high school is relatively small and cliquey, college is (generally) larger and people go about their own business more. You may catch snippets of superficial conversations, but as far as I've experienced people don't really go out of their way to bully or harass strangers. I don't like anyone at my college, but they're easier to ignore.



ShinAkuma said:


> While in college, they have counseling and career services which can help you like by giving you a career test, and you get free counseling there for SA.


^This is the only redeeming feature of my college. They did match me with a mediocre therapist, but it's better (and free-er) than the nothing I'm receiving at home. :stu


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

I guess I'm in the minority that will tell you maybe you should give college a shot before you decide it isn't for you. It is far far far better than high school, I can attest to that. Yes, you will unfortunately have to take classes that will, in the end, not useless in an actual professional field, but you can at least take classes that, while not necessarily useful, will be at least interesting.

With your performance you could, very easily, get scholarships, or even a full ride from schools. At worst, if you get can get scholarships, you'll be able to try without having to spend thousands of dollars, and you might find that you enjoy it. Even if you don't, you should realize that while you can be successful without a degree, your options will be very limited in what you can and can't do. In my case for instance, even though everything I learned in undergrad will be useless to me when I finally become a doctor, I couldn't have gotten into medical school without a bachelors degree. A waste of time? Yes more/less, but in the end it will be worth it.


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## The Silent 1 (Aug 21, 2011)

I definitely share your feelings about not wanting to go to college, but unfortunately our society is such that getting a good job without a degree can be extremely difficult. College has become a big business and a way of ensuring so many begin their lives in debt. The thing that I hate, is that with my particular interest, Computer Science, most employers wont look at you without a degree, which is ridiculous because some of the best programmers I know are self-taught and many graduates have told me they left their colleges not really knowing how to program. Many other degrees are often worth little more than the paper their printed on, but so many employers still require them.


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## JaneSmith (Dec 13, 2011)

well... I happen to be a former University administrator... so let me see if I can help you. First, it's Christmas and time for applying, but also time to celebrate and spend time with your family and the subject will certainly come up because parents... well... that's just what parents do. So while you think they are judging your response and grading your decisions, they are probably just trying to help. Take their curiosity and ask them what they did. Ask them questions, ask them if they will pay for you and support you through college. That's the hardest part because there are some expenses involved. 
Meanwhile, congratulations on great GPA!!! Study for the SAT exams. You will most likely get nice scholarships under the current government administration. Take some tours of schools, it's free and they don't pressure you if you just walk a campus to look around. 
Don't sweat dorms and roommates, there's always options to change if you don't get along, or sleep habits are weird. Remember, everyone in college aren't with the same friends from highschool, everyone is a newbie. 
A private college will get you to grad school if you want a job when you are 30 making over $100,000. The other good route is engineering, if you like that subject, there are many branches. 

Ask me questions....


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## ImWeird (Apr 26, 2010)

I wouldn't go. Wait a few more years, see how you feel about it then. Sounds like it would be a waste of time and money if you were to go right now.


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## rhubarb (Dec 16, 2011)

Every year a college degree is becoming worth less and less. College is great for some people but most folks just think its a 4 year vacation from the real world. Also, college is stressful in so many ways and can make your social anxiety worse. 
You can always skip the traditional route and pick up a skilled trade. Or you can take a break from school, like a gap year and reevaluate your options. You can always return to college when you are older.


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## JaneSmith (Dec 13, 2011)

How do you expect to get a job and support yourself without a college education? Sure there are jobs at fast food restaurants, even management positions. 
Have you checked the job market or applied for a position? Or will your parents support you until you are 30?
You can become a 911 operator with a highschool diploma. Or probably work at the Gap.


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## JaneSmith (Dec 13, 2011)

rhubarb said:


> You can always return to college when you are older.


It's harder to pick it up later. Right our of highschool colleges will accept you and you are fresh with skills of writing, math, and in the same boat as other students. Older students stick out like a sore thumb and the social anxiety is even worse. 
Everyone in college is a newbie and has some level of social anxiety, but since colleges have departments to deal with that, student life, then there are many outlets to help.

Further, financial aid is at a good point now and it's not that expensive to attend.


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## Uranium (Jun 14, 2011)

If you are in debt, accept it, and pay it off.


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## JaneSmith (Dec 13, 2011)

Uranium said:


> If you are in debt, accept it, and pay it off.


The beauty of that is under the current laws, you only have to pay back 10% of your income and the student loan only lasts 10 years, after that the government picks up the tab. That's a freakin bargain!!!


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

Uranium said:


> If you are in debt, accept it, and pay it off.


Difficult to do without a properly paid job.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

loquaciousintrovert said:


> Difficult to do without a properly paid job.


What properly paid job can you get nowadays without a degree? If you go to school, have a plan. Everyone who goes in with literally no idea, and settles for a philosophy major, or a psychology major, or an English major, without a plan on how this degree will lead to a job will both find themselves unable to get a decent job, and up to their neck in loans.


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

I have a degree, and a pile of debt. I chose a major that I knew I would be good at and would enjoy. I don't think I could have done better than I did.

I wish I had waited a few years, saved money, figured out what I really wanted, and then, if I still wanted to go to college, paid my own way.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

loquaciousintrovert said:


> I have a degree, and a pile of debt. I chose a major that I knew I would be good at and would enjoy. I don't think I could have done better than I did.
> 
> I wish I had waited a few years, saved money, figured out what I really wanted, and then, if I still wanted to go to college, paid my own way.


Did you go to a private university? Were you living at home or in the dorms at the time?


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## loquaciousintrovert (May 23, 2011)

It was a public university. What basically happened was they gave me way more in aid than I actually needed and I ended up in much more debt than necessary.

I lived in some apartments, and some time in the dorms.


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## Uranium (Jun 14, 2011)

loquaciousintrovert said:


> It was a public university. What basically happened was they gave me way more in aid than I actually needed and I ended up in much more debt than necessary.
> 
> I lived in some apartments, and some time in the dorms.


I am willing to bet that you chose a liberal arts major.


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## fingertips (Jan 11, 2009)

if it doesn't turn into a job, it's apparently worthless.


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## Ambivert (Jan 16, 2010)

fingertips said:


> if it doesn't turn into a job, it's apparently worthless.


I agree with this. I hate how everyone MUST go get a STEM degree to be anything of worth in society. A world full of engineers....cheezus that would be so boring. The other disciplines are necessary to explore mans meaning in life or culture or whatever, and if some people want to take that path more power to them.


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## starfire (Dec 21, 2010)

loquaciousintrovert said:


> It was a public university. What basically happened was they gave me way more in aid than I actually needed and I ended up in much more debt than necessary.
> 
> I lived in some apartments, and some time in the dorms.


Don't mind me asking, but what did you major in? What career were you hoping to get?


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## JennMcNeal23 (Dec 27, 2011)

College isn't for everyone but, it is definitely a good choice. Yes, some people have debts to pay off but, earning a degree opens doors that wouldn't otherwise be open to you. Try to study something you enjoy but, do your research. Earn a degree that has many job opportunities and room for growth.

Do not let your anxiety prevent you from getting a degree if you feel you are academically capable. You can work with professors and let them know how you feel. They will be understanding. I know it is a tough decision, but in the end, you don't want to be asking - "What if?"


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## successful (Mar 21, 2009)

Don't go...More money in your pocket


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## thankyouberry (Aug 11, 2011)

I don't know you, so I can't tell you whether college is a good idea or not, but it confuses me why you think classroom learning is a waste of time. 

Writing essays - done properly, teaches you how to think and make arguments
History - you learn to understand and appreciate the country's heritage. Why things are the way they are, and what could be done in the future to prevent some of the same disasters from happening again.

Things like these seem stupid at the lower levels just because it's so easy and simple. As you move up to the higher levels, writing a 5-7 page essay can take days rather than a simple 45 minutes. History becomes increasingly complex and relevant.

Um... a lot of high school seniors don't know what they want to do in life. Even in college, people talk about majoring in this and that but the majors they actually end up choosing aren't always the ones they talked about.


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## Perkins (Dec 14, 2010)

I can relate. I never wanted to nor did I ever express any interest in going to school, but because my quest to look for work was unsuccessful, and because I had to "do something," I had no other option. I was forced to go against my will by my family.


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