If you all haven't noticed, it's May. This is also typically a time of many college and high school students graduating. This is when they either move into the "real" word or move on to the next level of higher education. Since I just wrapped up my first full year as a college student and I've had the experience of four years of working a full-time job since I graduated high school, I feel like it's time to address something that seems like a crippling fault of the American way of life.
Kids graduating from high school should not be pushed into college directly out of school. The entire way most schools are set up in the US is incredibly dependent on the fact that a high school freshmen are supposed to choose the exact career that they are going to want for the rest of their life. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that when I was a freshmen, a sophomore, and even a junior I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. As a senior, I thought I wanted to do something "artsy." I didn't consider that I wouldn't be able to go around and take artistic pictures to make a living. I also didn't think about the fact that by making your hobby into work, it takes some of the joy out of your hobby. I was almost ready to head to college right out of high school because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. I didn't think about what I wanted.
Then I was given the option to leave Arkansas and move to Texas. Not only did it get me out of a small town that I never felt like I belonged in, but I had a legitimate reason to put off going to school: out of state tuition. I began to work retail and through a temp agency and quickly found a job that I could support myself on. I found out that the ideals you have in school aren't the way life works. I learned how to be an adult. After three years, I realized I wanted to go back to school. Now, I'm dedicated to not only learning, but also to getting a certain degree and making the most out of the courses I take.
I have a lot of friends that are getting ready to graduate some form of school this month and they're deeply in debt and have no real hopes for finding a decent job. Not only are these people stuck with crippling debt that will stick with them for many years, but most employers are looking for someone with a minimum of three years experience. Why do people think it is a good idea to encourage children to pick their future at thirteen or fourteen? Why are kids being pushed into going to school and never having a chance to learn who they are? I took the time to learn who I am, what I want to do, and what motivates me. If I hadn't done this, I would have either picked 1). A worthless degree or 2). Picked a degree that I hate and gone into a job I would be miserable with. Considering that I spend 45-55 hours a week at work, I'm glad I didn't pick the road of a degree that's "useful." I briefly toyed with the idea of getting some sort of accounting or business degree, but I quickly realized how miserable a career in either of those would make me.
Kids these days are pushed into college and the future without really having any chance of learning about themselves. Should kids be encouraged to take time off between high school and college? Should the path to vocational schools be more defined? Should parents provide more time for their kids to learn about themselves? Or, most importantly, should there just be less pressure on kids when they're growing up?
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