Which things are best learned in a classroom? Which are best learned somewhere else?
It’s an all-too-common refrain today: “college is good for everyone.” Some tell us that “everyone” should go, and that people are “failing” in life … if they choose not to go. But, if “everyone” is going, it seems to mean a little less if someone does have a degree. Even when the degree is a real one, rather than the fake kind sold by diploma mills, college degrees have nowhere near the value that they once held. More to the point, college is not inherently better for everyone. It is indeed good for some people, but it is not good for others. There are other ways to realize your potential besides going to college. And, although college might be best reserved for people who are unusually smart (as well as academically inclined), many smart people have never set foot in a college classroom. There are other ways to do smart things, and do some great deeds to boot. Some of the greatest minds of history were self-taught, and moved forward on their own willpower without the aid of a formal classroom. Thus, there is certainly a role for self-education. That being said, there may be some other things that can only be learned in a classroom. Laboratory science might be one of these things. You can read about biology and physics, and see videos of chemists using beakers and test tubes. But, unless you perform some laboratory science for yourself, you won’t really learn much about how it actually works. Self-education, although very valuable, can only go so far.
A Crookes tube in chemistry (two views): light and dark
How can I know if college is a good fit for me? If it is, when should I start college?
It would be beyond the scope of this blog post to try to state what kinds of things are best learned in a classroom, and what kinds of things might be best learned somewhere else. I won’t even try to go into this subject today. Rather, I will instead try to answer a different question. That is, how can you know whether college is a good fit for you? If one goes, should one go right away, or only when one feels ready? And what other valuable things can be done with your life, at the times when going to college seems like a bad fit? These are the questions that I will try to answer today. In brief, one should only go to college if one has a reasonably good idea of what they want to do (and how to pay for it). And, if one chooses not to go to college, one should instead come up with another plan that is just as good. If you can’t think of a better plan for you than college, then you should seriously consider going to college after all.
Students in a carpentry trade school learning woodworking skills, circa 1920
College was once a time of “finding yourself” (but, sadly, that’s gotten more expensive)
First, let me address the question of how college can best be made to work, and what sorts of things are instead likely to waste your valuable time and money. Specifically, college has traditionally been a time of “finding yourself.” That is, students can take classes in a bunch of different subjects, in the hopes that they might find some subject that’s a reasonably good fit. To some degree, this is still true, particularly when many of these classes fulfill some gen ed requirements that have to be satisfied anyway. However, college is so expensive now that you can’t afford to do very much of this today. It may be a little more doable at a community college, but it can be somewhat pricey at a university. Thus, if a class holds little promise of getting you where you need to go (wherever that is), it may just not be worth taking. This is why it can be risky today to go to college, when you don’t yet know what you want to do. You might rack up some serious debt from doing so. Fortunately, there are some good ways to minimize these risks, by doing a bit of judicious research outside of the classroom. Nonetheless, some of these plans can only be ruled out after they’ve been tried. And trying them, sadly, inherently involves the risk of some wasted time and money. Thus, it may presently be better to avoid college, either temporarily or permanently, until you’ve narrowed your possibilities down to a more manageable number of still-doable options. Then, college may truly be a gateway, rather than a millstone hung around your neck for decades to come. Moreover, if your plan is just to drink and party (which is probably a bad idea anyway), you can do that much more cheaply outside of an academic setting, without any student loan debts. It may just be best not to go to college at all, unless you know that you can actually learn something worthwhile for you there – of the kind that you can’t learn so well anywhere else, that is. You don’t need to go to college to have fun, of either the wilder or cleaner varieties.
Albi Cathedral Roodscreen (1474–1483), a classic example of French art and architecture
Don’t give in to pressure from parents (or anyone else) to do something that you hate
One of the tragedies of today is that many kids are being pushed into college, when they don’t really want to go. They can be pushed into it by their high school teachers, by their parents, or by almost anyone else. College is not the only viable option, and it’s certainly not the cheapest one today. Thus, you should only go if you have a realistic plan to make it pay off in some way. One of the first developmental challenges of your adulthood … might be standing up to a certain kind of parent. This might even involve saying “no” to college (or to a particular college degree program) that you already know to be a bad fit for you. If you later decide to go back to school, you still have that option, and probably shouldn’t go to college until (or unless) you’re decided that you’re ready to do so. I totally understand that you can often save a lot of time and money by completing any desired college plans right away. But, if your heart’s not really in it yet, you’ll probably waste even more time and money by failing all of your classes (isn’t that fun). Thus, all things considered, it’s best only to go to college when you feel ready, and when you’re actually prepared to hit it hard and succeed at it. It’ll be a lot cheaper for your parents, and a lot more fulfilling for you, if you pursue some other meaningful plans in the meantime – assuming that you ever decide to go at all, that is. Your parents might hit the roof today, but it’ll probably be worth it. And chances are that they’ll still be willing to help you financially, if you later decide to go back to college in the future. If you’re lucky, they might even help you out with a non-college plan of some kind – if it involves more than just sitting around on the couch and playing video games, that is. This is because their misguided pushiness usually comes from a place of genuinely loving you, and wanting you to succeed. Parents don’t always know the best way to do that, and may inadvertently push you into a seriously unfulfilling life – if you let them, that is. If they do love you, they’ll get over it, and you’re all likely to be better off for it.
The Doctor, an 1891 portrait by Luke Fildes
On the flip side, what if your heart is set on college, but your parents don’t like the idea?
On the flip side, you should probably also resist any parental pressure to stay out of college, when it really does seem like a good fit for you. Some parents might have valid concerns, such as certain kinds of bogus degree programs. This could include the aforementioned fake degrees from diploma mill websites, or those in certain bogus subjects that have been corrupted by academic fads of one sort or another. (More about those here.) But others might have an excessive suspicion of higher learning, and may try too hard to shelter you from opposing ideas (which seems to be a mistake). This might necessitate having some on-point conversations with them about it – which are not guaranteed, sadly, to end up being fruitful. When you’re dependent upon parents for your support, you may have little choice but to try to do this. In fairness, some parents might eventually come around to the idea, if you can come up with a realistic plan (such as a first-generation scholarship) to pay for your education. If they don’t, you’re an adult now. You no longer need their permission. They might likewise hit the roof – but they, too, are likely to get over it. If they don’t, it’s not the end of the world. It’s possible that your relationship with them will one day improve enough to be bearable for both sides. Chances are that they still love you, and want what’s best for you. Remember this if they decide to oppose a realistic and well-thought-out plan on your part. Have the courage of your convictions, and don’t despair. Many have triumphed despite such setbacks. Chances are that you can, too. If your heart is set on college, there are still some handy ways to make it work. They might be expensive, but a good scholarship might offset this – and a moderate amount of student loan debt, where appropriate, is truly nothing to worry about.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard (1895)
If you decide not to go to college, then find another plan that’s just as good or better
Switching back to those who don’t want to go to college. Specifically, what kinds of plans might be better for you, if this is the direction towards which you’re leaning? Few of these plans are mutually exclusive with each other, or with college itself. But, in general, one should select a plan from something along these lines. That is, go to trade school, go to vocational school, join the military, get a job, do something creative, start an enterprise, do volunteering, or (if appropriate) pursue stay-at-home parenthood right off the bat. And, if you can’t think of a plan that’s better for you than college, then you might seriously consider actually doing college. Any plan that’s worth doing will inherently involve some amount of work. Real college certainly involves some work, and so do all of these other options. In my not-so-humble opinion, one shouldn’t avoid something … simply because that thing may involve some unpleasant work. Rather, one should try to select a choice where the work is bearable and doable, and where there is enough compensation (of whatever kind that might be) to make the plan worth it. If you can get paid for playing video games for hours on end, then this might indeed be a good strategy. But chances are that such things will not move you forward, if they’re all that you do. There’s room in life for play and recreation, but you owe it to yourself (and to those whom you love) to do something meaningful with your life. And, generally speaking, meaning will be best found in helping others, whether on the job or in your free time. Dare to pursue those worthwhile dreams that you’ve been meaning to pursue all along. It might be the best decision of your life. It might even open the doorway to some real adventures – the kind that are actually worth having.
Thomas Alva Edison, an inventor (and entrepreneur) who never went to college at all
Whatever you eventually choose to do, hit it hard enough to make that adventure work
The decision about whether to go to college is best made by you yourself. It would be impossible to give a solution here that’s right for absolutely “everyone.” The closest thing to a “one-size-fits-all” solution here … may be that, whatever you do, you should hit it hard, and do whatever work is needed to make it succeed. Then you’ll be on the right track for a truly fulfilling life, and will have a real chance at finding meaning (and even adventure) – with or without college.
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