Don't Go To College, Do This Instead

Before you unfurl your list of one hundred reasons why going to college is essential and that I'm an idiot, hear me out. I should clarify. I don't mean you don't go to college ever. I meant to say don't go to college right away.

For me, going to college was always expected. I'm the first-born of two Nigerians who immigrated to the United States in the eighties. Though both of my parents had distinguished degrees from universities in Nigeria, they learned the hard way that those degrees wouldn't be enough. Despite being required to start their post-secondary education from scratch, my parents persisted, both earning their diplomas. Now they jointly run their own healthcare company. Through it all, my parents always made sure to impress upon my siblings and me that they were able to build their company because of having the benefit of certified education and the doors that opened for them. So like I said, going to college was always in the plan for me.

So I did what most students are taught to do, work hard and get into a good school. I spent four years doing Student Council, club league soccer, National Junior Honor's Society, Spanish Club and kept my GPA above a 3.6 so I would be an attractive applicant to colleges. The hard work paid off! I got into and enrolled at a top university for that coming fall. With my mission accomplished, I spent the next two months going to bonfires and saying goodbye to my friends while fielding emails about room assignments, meeting my advisor and freshman orientation. It was a fun summer, but probably the quickest one of my life.

Fast forward to the end of my undergraduate career. It was a blur. Not because I was partying or anything(which in hindsight, maybe I could've benefited from), but because it was time for me to decide what to do next. Once again, there were expectations. Everyone around me said that if I really wanted to be successful, I would need a professional degree. Which meant more extracurriculars, more rigorous studying to keep my GPA up and more making myself be an attractive applicant to admissions committees. To be honest, I was extremely burnt out. What was supposed to be the best four years of my life, became some of my most challenging.

Why am I telling you this? Because it's a reality. Not just my reality, either. According to reports, the average college student takes 4-6 years to finish the standard four-year program. College students are spending that time changing their majors at least twice because they never really got the chance to explore all the possible options, all the while accruing interest on student loans because there aren't enough grants or scholarships to go around. Meanwhile, depression and anxiety in students are at an all-time high, and then you cap it all off with a job that, if you're lucky, helps you pay back your student loan debt with ease. But many students aren't so fortunate if the recent reports on student loan debt are to be believed. So what's the solution?

A Gap Year. No, this won't solve the trillion dollar student loan debt crisis that's already happening, but it can do something just as important, which is give you more time. Looking back on my college experience, I realized that part of the cause of my burnout was that I was always pushed from one thing to the next and never got the chance to just breathe. If I had had only one year to be able to take a step back and really think about what I wanted for my future and what I needed to do to get there, I could've avoided A LOT of frustration, tears and feeling like I wasn't good enough. After talking to a lot of my friends about our college experiences, I know I'm not the only one who could've benefited from a break.

"Ok, but what are you supposed to do with a gap year?"

ANYTHING! That's the beauty of it. A gap year can be whatever you want it to be. For example, you could spend the summer in a language camp and then an immersion program in France to really hone your French skills. Or you can find a part-time internship and job in the field you were thinking of going into to decide if it's really a good fit. Create a low-stress study schedule and learn a new skill via Udemy or Youtube. My new personal favorite? This skills boot camp and apprenticeship program called Praxis. Just because you may not be in school, doesn't mean there aren't other ways you could make valuable use of the time while still having the space to figure out what you really want to do next. Besides, if after the year you decide going to college is what you need to do, then that's totally fine! I won't deny the value of an education. Just know, you do have options. Consider taking the road less traveled. Maybe it'll make all the difference.