Don't Waste Money on Tuition: College is Not for Everyone

Any college instructor can testify that college is simply not for everyone. It is too often assumed that students will graduate from high school and immediately begin their freshman year of college. While this trend certainly works for some, others need to carefully decide whether they truly possess the skills and motivation to complete college. With the aid of parents and educators, it is possible that some teenagers and young adults will realize that college is not for them...prior to a semester's worth of tuition.

An Aptitude for the Classroom

First, it must be acknowledged that any two or four-year college will mostly likely require general education classes, which will ensure that the college graduate has participated in a well-rounded education. To engage in such classes, students must possess critical thinking skills, reading comprehension, knowledge of the writing process, and a studying proficiency. The curriculum for these classes is designed to submerse the student into his or her intense, upcoming classes. If a teenager struggled through these types of classes in high school, there is a likely chance that the college experience will prove no different.

A Student's Motivating Factor

Second, parents and educators alike need to assist prospective college attendees in discerning whether he or she possesses the motivation needed to complete a college program. One must analyze the sole intent behind a teenager's choice to enter college. In an article entitled "What if a college education just isn't for everyone?" Mary Beth Marklein states "...too many students are going to college not because they want to, but because they think they have to." Apparently, many teenagers are completing college applications and financial aid forms because of expectations and pressure; many may assume that any other choice will produce a bleak future.

Upon realizing that he or she does not possess the aptitude or motivation for college, a teenager or young adult should be encouraged to know that there are many other options. Although college has often been coupled with intellect, our society is starting to realize that intellect can be utilized in arenas outside the university classroom. A certain teenager may not be able to sit down and write a literary analysis, but he does hold the aptitudes necessary for computer programming or carpentry. It is time that high school educators start to present a wide range of career opportunities to their diverse students.

Source:

Mary Beth Marklein, "What if a college education just isn't for everyone?" USA Today.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-16-1Acollegeforall16_CV_N.htm