It seems from the moment you start school your administration is shoving this dream of college down your throat. Everyone glorifies going to some high-end private university with this insane idea that if you want to contribute anything to society you simply must go to college.

Why does everybody from Hollywood to your creepy next-door neighbor believe that you can only live the "American Dream" if you're shut up in a dorm somewhere writing research paper after research paper and stuffing your face with microwave Velveeta?

Why does everyone believe that college is your only option?

Let's start with the obvious. I'm clearly not the perfect spokesperson for the demographic of people that aren't cut out for the typical 4-year college life. I do go to a private university and for so many years I too was someone who thought that not going to college was the worst thing someone could do. And I'm not here to say that college is the worst thing in the world because clearly it isn't. What I'm here to address is the fact that some people simply don't belong in a traditional 4-year college, and that's okay.

After starting college I came upon the realization that so many people are simply attending school just to attend. I see it day after day Juniors and sometimes even Seniors who still after years of wasting time and money don't know what they even want to major in. I mean really?

Imagine spending about $60,000 a year just to "figure yourself out". That's insane.

The real problem here is that people don't know they have other options besides college. The military is an option and so are trade schools and I mean if you're going to spend $60k a year to "figure yourself out" why not travel the world and make it worth while?

The truth is, not everyone has the same goals and values in life and shouldn't your life be about doing something that makes you happy? And I get it, people that go to 4-year colleges tend to graduate into higher level professions and make higher salaries, but if someone clearly has a talent and passion for surfing, they'd probably be much happier as a surf instructor than working at some boring law firm.

Life isn't about the money you make. It's about what you as an individual have to offer to society and what you have to offer to yourself. So if fixing cars is your passion and you want to become a mechanic, that's great; go to a technical school and learn what it is you have to do to own your own shop. If at 18-years-old being a surf instructor, or a ski instructor, or some sort of missionary is your dream, then follow that dream.

People don't have to be presidents and politicians and big wall street businessmen to contribute to society, and if you don't agree with that you should think about the man or woman who's going to fix your car when it breaks down on the side of the road or the man or woman risking their life to defend your country.

College, for some, is a great option. For some people writing papers and projects and so on and so fourth is just a stepping stone to achieving some sort of greater level of education that they believe in and clearly work very hard for. For others, college isn't always the best option. And there are other options for those people. So my recommendation for those people is to stop wasting money at a university that is not going to benefit you and explore your other options.

If you aren't "finding yourself" in the back row of some boring history class, then go find yourself somewhere else. There's a whole world of opportunities for you to get lost in and there is no shame in knowing yourself enough to know that college isn't the place for you.