College isn't for everyone. In all reality, it's expensive and potentially a waste of time. So, instead of following the common trend of convincing you to go to college, I've come up with a few reasons why you shouldn't

Don’t go to college if independence doesn’t appeal to you. You could have the chance to go to Haggen at midnight on a Thursday, make forts with the lounge couches and tables at 3 a.m., or go skinny dipping at a local beach. Maybe you’ll decide to head to Canada for the weekend or drop $100 to go to a local ski resort. It’s also likely that you’ll take to dropping fruit out your dorm window and get really good at late-night Egyptian Rat Screw. College gives you control over your own life. Though that can cause a great deal of anxiety to those unfamiliar with independence, having complete say over your own decisions is great, to say the least.

Don’t go to college if you don’t want to feel loved. When you leave for school, it gets rough for the people back home. Care packages and cards from your younger siblings will make you more aware than you ever have been of your fans back home. Your new friends will read messages from your little brother and cry just because, and your old friends will call at odd hours just wanting to catch up. Going away to college will allow you to feel your own worth.

Don’t go to college if you don’t like to be challenged. Along with all the inevitable fun, college functions to prepare students for their professional careers. It’s a terrible idea to head off to school if you’re not okay with occasional late night library sessions, study groups, or office hours. Don’t go to college if you aren’t ready to get a bad grade on an essay or even biff a midterm. College is more than willing to get your head out of the clouds and into a textbook. If you’re not prepared to come back to Earth permanently, don’t worry, there will be plenty of other opportunities during the weekend.

Unfortunately, college will also challenge you emotionally. If you’re set on coming, be ready to be a shoulder to cry on, and get that head of yours ready for when you’ll be in need of somebody else’s shoulder. Things can get rough. Sickness and stress and loneliness are all experiences you’ll likely deal with at school. At college you will be faced with these new challenges. By facing them head on, it’s likely that you’ll change as a person. So definitely don’t come if this doesn’t appeal to you.

Don’t go to college if you aren’t ready to say no. At school, you will have the opportunity to do a great deal of things that could potentially cause damage to yourself and others. Be prepared to know your limits and be your own person. Peer pressure is a real thing - regardless if you are with close friends or strangers. For that reason, it is important that you think through how far you’ll go and what you will do in a scary situation before leave for school.

Definitely don’t go to college if you aren’t looking for a new home. At college, you’ll be thrown into an entirely new world. What you do in that world is up to you, but regardless of the path you take, it is likely that you will find a home at school. Your views will be opened by new classes, friends, and experiences. In this new world, you’ll become who you’ve always wanted to be.