My husband did what you are saying you want to do. He tried college and was bored. He is a computer guy and the classes in college were things he had learned in middle school. He ended up just getting a job. He has a job, but it's with a small company without insurance. He can't just apply for a job at a big company, like AT&T or Motorola or anywhere like that because he doesn't have a degree. When you see those job ads they list a degree under "REQUIRED" He can do consulting and make $$, but no benefits, no insurance. I have the degree and I work as a secretary because we MUST have insurance coverage and my job has good benefits.
My degree is in business. I'm not going to lie, 75% of it was a waste of my time. The math and accounting and finance classes were useful, that's about it. I graduated from a 4 year university in 3 years it was so easy. YOU ARE SMART! You can do it. I'm starting my own company now, and guess what - banks are more interested because I have the "background" I need. I'm less of a risk because I have a degree. That's just how the world works.
One thing that I wish I had done was go to community college first. I could have saved SO MUCH MONEY and worked at the same time. Plus, the classes are smaller and if you did well in HS you will excel at CC. I wouldn't have any student loans to pay back if I went to CC. I could have written a check for it just from my summer jobs waiting tables.
Here's my 2 suggestions. Start CC right away and take classes every quarter (even summer) while working and get done fast. Then you can get a AA or AS and get a better job while you finish your 4-yr degree.
OR - Apply for college and get accepted, then defer your enrollment for a semester. Go work full time and save up every penny to give you and Angel some cushion to prepare for going to school full time.
Good luck. It's a hard decision to make and tough to potentially give up a salary for 4 years (that's what you're thinking, right?) You need to be able to walk into a good company and get a job.
Oh - one more idea might be to get certified in something you might not need 4 years for, like a Vet Tech??? |