I think it's fair to say that the majority of us millennials have had that moment of doubt where we wondered if college is the right route for us. Our generation is expected to graduate high school, attend a university for four or more years, graduate college and then most likely attend graduate school. But what about the millennials who aren't quite sure if college is for them? For the longest time, that was me.
To the person who is debating college,
I bet you have thought of several different routes you could possibly take that would avoid college for as long as possible. Joining the military? Joining the Peace Corps? What about immediately entering the workforce? Taking a year off to travel? These were just a few of the routes I used to consider.
I understand that you probably feel useless to the world while you sit in a high school classroom and take notes for seven to eight hours, five days a week. I bet you feel like you're "wasting" time and energy. I bet you understand that anything can happen at any moment, so you question why you have to spend your entire day getting lectured about polynomials and how to write a proper thesis. You think that attending a university will be the exact same way ... so why waste another four or more years?
Throughout high school, I was surrounded by friends who knew exactly what they wanted out of life, whereas I was stuck in the middle of wanting to travel but also to contribute to the world in some way (small or big). Thinking about taking tests and doing assignments for at least another four years felt like a waste to me. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to continue my education and gain more knowledge, but I was so over the classroom scene. Despite these feelings, I ultimately decided to choose college. I wasn't 100 percent sure that college was for me, but I knew that at the very least I would have the opportunity to discover my passions and attempt to achieve my goals there. I also wasn't passionate about any of the alternative routes.
See, college isn't what we think it would be. Instead, it's so much more. You have the opportunity to join a research team or participate in community service activities. That isn't wasting your time, and that definitely isn't being useless to the world. You can attend a university and further your education in a field of study that interests you and that will help you accomplish whatever you want to accomplish. I spent years lusting over travel blogs and Pinterest pictures, and then I learned that through my college, I have the opportunity to travel while simultaneously expanding my education. I went through four years of feeling like I wasn't contributing to my community, society or world enough, so thinking about going to a college where I could get both an education and contribute back put me more at ease.
After applying to schools and receiving acceptances (along with rejections), I think the nerves of leaving home and everything I was familiar with officially kicked in. Of course I was getting excited to be able to attend my number one choice of university, but it wasn't until I attended my freshman orientation that I 100 percent accepted the fact that I had chosen the college route, and I was perfectly happy with that decision.
So, my advice to you is to look past those feelings of uselessness because you most certainly are not useless, and you deserve to give yourself the best resources that will help you grow and achieve your goals, hopes and dreams. Attending a university, if that is what you choose to do, will provide you will the resources necessary to achieve those same goals, hopes and dreams.
From,
Someone who eventually chose college.
