Today I was talking to a friend of mine about college. She's currently pursuing a Pharmacy Technician certification and, well, let's just say she hates it. As she was complaining to me about the classes and the memorization of the drug names and how difficult and boring it was, all I could think was, "Then why go?"
I see it a lot these days. Straight from high school kids go to college and often they don't know what they want to do. They go to college just to get the degree so they can make money later on in life. I think we can all agree that money is pretty important, but is it so worth it to go to school for something you hate just so you can have a job you also hate for the rest of your life? Is it so worth it to go to college only to flounder because you still can't figure out what you want to major in?
I took two years off of college. I had originally only planned to take one, but work and lack of ambition to go back to school kept me out for another year. Everyone told me it was an awful idea, that I'd never go back. Teachers constantly berated us with thoughts about college; why you should go, why you shouldn't get student loans, why you should know what you want to major in by the time you graduated high school, what made the most money, etc. When I was a little girl, I was dead set in having a Master's Degree in everything. In fact, that's what I thought a Master's Degree was. I wanted to know everything, to do everything, and to be whatever I wanted when I wanted to. A veterinarian for a few years, then maybe a teacher or even training elephants at the zoo. I grew up thinking college would be a time where you actually get to learn what you want to learn about because, let's face it, if you're going to pay for school you might as well like it.. right?
I am signed up for college this June, at last. And I can't tell you how happy I am I took those two years off. When I graduated, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I scrambled, looking at colleges nonstop, and stressed constantly over what I wanted to be because I had so many ideas of what I wanted that it was just such a difficult decision. But in these last two years, I stopped freaking out about it. I took a step back, took a good look at myself and what I loved, and went from there. I didn't think about what would make me the most money. In fact, the major I'm looking into is a make it or break it kind of industry and I could very well fail miserably. But if I do, I will do so knowing I tried to do something I loved to do.
So if you're thinking of taking time from school, do it. But if you do it with doubts about going back, you might not. But college isn't for everyone (or rather, not everyone is for college) and if you can do something without it, go for it. But remember; college is an important decision. It costs a lot of money and time. So please, if you know something will make you miserable, don't go for it. Don't go into this thinking it is something you have to do. Think for yourself and know what will make you happy. You are the only one who will have to do the work, so if being a doctor would make your parents happy but not you, go after your dreams. Not anyone elses.
