Society has taken success and twisted it. Everybody assumes that the only way to be successful is to go to an amazing college, get a degree, and then work until you are rich and stable. Somewhere along the way, you find someone who you can co-habitat with and you have some kids and then you are supposed to be “successful” or “happy.” In my mind, that isn’t successful. If that is what will make you happy, then yes it is successful.

College, family, kids, money, it’s not for everyone. It’s unfair that people feel that they aren’t successful, just because they don’t go to college or they don’t want kids. There is nothing wrong with that.

If going to a community college, working full time, traveling, or skipping all the shenanigans is what you feel is best, then do it! Success isn’t following the mainstream path. It is going and doing what you feel is best for you. College isn’t for everyone. Some people need a few years to go to a smaller college close to home and save up some money. There is nothing wrong with community college and there is nothing wrong with having no idea what you want to do.

If you don’t want to get married and have kids, you shouldn’t have to. Some people want to change the world and have an incredibly successful job without the distraction of marriage and kids (not that it’s a bad distraction). That’s fine, you can still be successful.

If you don’t go to college right away and you decide to take a year off after high school or college to travel, there is nothing wrong with that. Traveling brings great memories and you learn valuable life skills that someone who is going to college may not learn. You may never know what you could gain with traveling, many people end up learning about jobs and volunteer organizations abroad that end up changing their life. Bottom line, traveling is good.

Success isn’t determined by going to college, it is by doing something that you know is right for you. If you are following your dream or saving up money while going to community college, you are successful. You are doing what feels good and avoiding the annoyance of student debt or dropping out because you weren’t ready for college. State schools are great, don’t go to a fancy Ivy League school just to say you did. You’ll end up with $20,000 in debt which will follow you for the rest of your life.

Society has deemed success a certain way. Going to college doesn’t mean you are successful. It means you went to college and it’s stupid that people feel bad for taking a different path in life. Adjusting your surroundings based on your feeling is perfectly healthy and will set you up for a better future. To all the people who are taking an alternative route, I promise you are successful and are going to achieve so much in life.