Are you planning to go to college? 

                For most high school students, the answer is ¨Yes.¨ However, not everyone is planning to go the college route. For the students who are not planning on going to college or seeking a degree, success is still something they want and hope to achieve. 

                 College might not be for everyone, but there are many fields of work that require a college degree. For those who choose not to go to college, there are several career fields to pursue. Ultimately, there are pros and cons on both sides of the college argument.  

                  The most popular college majors fall within the engineering and medical fields. These areas have the highest average income after college with different variations in the fields as engineering includes many jobs related to technology. According to The Scholarship System, an organization that helps people find scholarships, the majority of high-paying majors for college degrees come from the engineering and medical fields. These include Cybersecurity the following average salaries: $70,632 for cybersecurity, $81,971 for software engineering, … and $73,064 for health informatics. All of these careers require a college degree and, in many cases, advanced degrees. However, there are many other options for those who do not want to pursue a college degree. When people think of “non-college” careers, they often think of things like rap, sports, and social media, as well as other areas. . However, for some of these careers, people always say that it is as little as 000.1 % chance to happen so having a plan is important.  For those that are grounded more in reality and are not counting on entertainment, sports, or some other celebrity aspect of life to succeed, there are multiple ways to make a living without going to college. 

                  In his article “25 High-Paying Jobs That Don’t Require a Four-Year Degree,” Ken Coleman examines some of the career options for those who don’t choose the traditional 4-year college route. One point Coleman makes is, “While you may not need a bachelor’s degree, you do need an education! Some of these jobs we’re going to talk about require an associate degree, some trade school, and others specific certifications or apprenticeships. But here’s the bottom line: You can earn good money and enjoy meaningful work without spending four years at college.”

                   Some of the careers Coleman lists include Air Traffic Controller, Nuclear Technicians, Web Developers, and Dental hygienists. Those careers mostly require a high school diploma and an associate’s degree to get a career without a master’s degree.  An associate’s degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. Also, completion of either program indicates the student has completed a course of study equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. Whether it’s a lack of enjoyment of school, the cost, or one thinks it is just a waste of time, college is just not for everyone. In today’s world, however, there are a number of ways to make a living without a college degree as Coleman notes. Additionally, there are alternative ways to make money today in the stock /trade market places such as bitcoin, crypto, wealth base, wealth front, and stockpile.

                    For me, college is not the path that I plan to take. In my opinion, the school doesn’t teach many of the important things I feel are important to being a successful person. Sure, a college degree might mean more earning power, but there are so many important parts of life that college doesn’t touch on. If people want to go to college they should go and do whatever they want. That’s the best for them. But I feel like there are more opportunities to make money and I am one who believes college can be a waste of time and a lot of money.