Top 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Go to College

Generation after generation knows the key to success in life is a combination of hard work, determination, and education. Growing up in a small community with a mother, who dropped out of school in her junior year to give birth to yours truly, she always placed value on getting a good education - something she realized was far more important after she quit.

Filled with common sense and a strong work ethic, my drop-out mother went on to start her own business and became very successful. She shared with me a very important piece of advice, "Follow your dreams, but make sure you learn something that will always be in demand and will never go away."

In other words, learn a skill or trade that there will always be a need for until your dream becomes reality.

This piece of advice not only revealed why I hated school so much, and why dissecting frogs or learning calculus was a waste of my time.

Where my mother lacked in academic achievement, she excelled in solid wisdom and experience.

Don't get me wrong. Although it sounds like I am an opponent of education, the truth is quite the contrary. I know the value of education, but also know that when you don't receive the RIGHT education, all the "book-smarts" (as my mother used to call it) in the world will not help you become successful!

Academia has replaced common sense with common core and valuable life skills with technological ingenuity, which often leaves students learning how to create a six-figure income... for professors and college administration!

Here are top 7 reasons why you shouldn't go to college or university:

1. Setup for Failure

We are taught that failing to get straight A's is a sure path to "throwing our lives away," when in fact, the grade you accomplish in school has little bearing on life at all.

Rather it is the path to achieving a diploma, certificate, or degree, which could eventually lead you to a highly successful and lucrative career. But achieving a degree is not a guarantee. Not to mention, it sets you up to fail financially.

Most college students believe the propaganda of college recruiters and admissions staff that with a degree you'll move to the top of the executive corporate ladder faster than a person without a degree, which translates into higher salaries and more benefits. For some, that may be true.

However, for the large majority, more and more college students graduate with a degree but can't find a job in their field of study - leaving them bankrupt and overwhelmed with student loan debt before they can even apply their educational expertise!

Instead of accumulating six figure debt before you even know what to do with your life, invest in courses over time, which afford you to gain knowledge and expertise while also giving you time to work, learn from real world examples, and even fail so you know what not to do next time.

2. Lack of Experience Creates Unfulfilled Dreams

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut. Little did I realize it would take years and years of science classes to achieve that dream. And I hated science! I loved astronomy, but hated all the other sciences. They simply didn't hold my interest. Frankly, why did I need to dissect a frog? What value did that hold in the grand plan of my life? Answer: Absolutely no value whatsoever!

Fresh out of high school, everyone thinks they know what they want to become or what field of study they want to pursue. Rarely, however, does anyone actually complete the path and become an expert in their field of study. Most college students start with one major and by the time they graduate, they have switched because they discover the original major wasn't quite up their alley when it comes to interests.

I am an advocate for working for awhile and learning what your interests are before defining a field of study to enter. Then, once you do that you will learn where your passion lies and what field of study to pursue. After all, why waste your time learning something you may find really isn't your passion or desire for long-term investment?

3. Lack of Practical Application

Academia offers technical expertise through textbook scenarios, but the best education comes from real-life experience. Why would you want to learn how to make a six-figure income from a part-time college professor who has never done it?

There are a number of real-life people who have created multi-million dollar and even billion dollar empires who don't have a degree in anything. All of their fortune has been through hard work and personal development rather than academic channels.

It's important that you pursue the right type of education for your interests and field of study. For instance, if you want to pursue working with animals, then go for it! But, before you sink yourself in the quick sand of student loan debt, discover other ways to pursue your education without immediate expenditures.

Here are some tips to do that:

1. Find a mentor - find someone who is actually doing what you want to do and seek out their expertise. You may even pursue being a volunteer or becoming an apprentice in thie organization, which will give you a real-world, hands-on perspective. Then, as you move forward, begin taking courses that would help you in pursuing this endeavor.

2. Pay-as-you-go - if possible, pay for the course(s) you wish to take whether at a physical college or online. This will afford you the ability to only take the necessary courses needed to achieve your goals and not waste your time on unnecessary courses (minus the pre-requisites, however). Although this will take you a much longer time to get a degree, you will stay out of debt and learn practical application along the way, which will advance you further in the long run.

3. Work-related benefits - often when you work for a company, they offer incentives to help you pursue a degree or advance academically. Inquire to find out what is available. It may help you pay for your courses while you learn hands-on application.

In conclusion, I am not against academia. I am a graduate from academic institutions!

But pursuing the wrong education just because someone told you you should, is farm more wreckless and harmful than not purusing academia.

Frankly, you will always be a student of life, learning what works and what doesn't. You will discover strategies that work for you and ones that create failure. But, don't fall for the propaganda that says you must pursue college. College may be right for some at this tme in their lives. Or it may be advantageous in other pursuits.

Weigh your options with your intentions. Then take action to help you move forward.