Frustrated, advice?

[GORJESS]

Well I graduated as valedictorian of my high school so it is expected that I go to college. The problem is I really don't want to, as ironic as that may seem. But I really don't want to let my parents down, again. I feel like me getting pregnant was a big enough disappointment for them. I feel like going to college is just going to stress me out and like I can educate myself the way I have been doing. Then again, it seems like you need a degree for everything these days. If I go to college I will be majoring in business, and I just really think that I could do all of that on my own.

What I really want to do is just work right now and save up money. While working I will be reading books and basically educating myself in order to get a good job, and start on a career. I honestly think I can do it, but I just don't have it in me to let my parents down once more. Also, I feel like if I don't succeed school will always be there and I can go back. But I don't want to end up being a college drop out if I start now.

I'm just so confused and don't know what to do. What do you think?

[vainchick5]

Jessica trust me, sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, parents always want more. Don't do this for them, while it's a noble cause, do it for YOU and for ANGEL. You have to set an example for him to follow as a child, teen and later an adult. You can still certainly work and save money, while you go to school. I didn't like school but I went to college and got my bacherlors degree, then on to my masters. Not because of my parents but because I didn't want to work stupid jobs for the rest of my life. I wanted to be something bigger and something more. I wanted to be proud of myself and not worry about my future. Now I know with the degrees under my belt, I never have to worry about my future. I have great degree and great experience. Take it from me GO TO COLLEGE. I know it's inconvenient, but trust me it will be well worth it. Times are changing, and already a bachelors degree is a bare minimum for just about all jobs that have room for advancement. Take my advice, bite the bullet and just go to school. You don't have to take an overwhelming amount of classes, go 5 years instead of 4 to decrease your load. I'm sure not only will your parents be proud of you, but your son will grow up proud of you but YOU will be proud of you.

[BubblPopElectrc]

Originally Posted by vainchick5

Jessica trust me, sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, parents always want more. Don't do this for them, while it's a noble cause, do it for YOU and for ANGEL. You have to set an example for him to follow as a child, teen and later an adult. You can still certainly work and save money, while you go to school. I didn't like school but I went to college and got my bacherlors degree, then on to my masters. Not because of my parents but because I didn't want to work stupid jobs for the rest of my life. I wanted to be something bigger and something more. I wanted to be proud of myself and not worry about my future. Now I know with the degrees under my belt, I never have to worry about my future. I have great degree and great experience. Take it from me GO TO COLLEGE. I know it's inconvenient, but trust me it will be well worth it. Times are changing, and already a bachelors degree is a bare minimum for just about all jobs that have room for advancement. Take my advice, bite the bullet and just go to school. You don't have to take an overwhelming amount of classes, go 5 years instead of 4 to decrease your load. I'm sure not only will your parents be proud of you, but your son will grow up proud of you but YOU will be proud of you.

Great advice.

I feel like if you don't go to school now, you might regret it in years to come. Do it now and get it over with. If you put it off, you might never go back (You'll just put it off over and over again).

You'd be amazed at how many jobs require some type of degree now.

Good luck!

[vainchick5]

To be honest it was hard work to go through college and my masters degree but I'm so glad I did it. Becuse now if I get laid off or if I stop working, I never worry about being jobless too long and my salary just keeps climbing up. My sister didn't go to college and my parents were so disappointed but now she wishes so badly that she had gone to school so she could've set a better example for her son. She deeply regrets it now. Trust me, you want to be the one with a degree. It's not just a piece of paper, it's your future. Who knows, because of school you may find something you love, work a bit, open your own business and maybe pass it on to your kids and so on. When you have a degree you're credibility increases which will be beneficial in many ways.

[mizzwanned]

I am in a similar situation as you. I go to college and am going to my 3rd year and I want to go to college cause I want a degree. But my mom WANTS me to work right now and I don't. I mean I want to work but I just wanted like a month off or so to enjoy the summer and my furbabies. I quit my waitressing job but i still work a part time job. My mom wants me to go to school but still work and it's hard to do that and to get straight As. My advice is to go to college while you're young, if anything you will have that to fall back on. You can still work a part time job twice a week, so at least you can save some money. It's hard but just to be on the safe side I would say get that education. There are some days I really don't feel like going to school but then i see or hear of ppl that are not doing anything with their lives and that pushes me harder and makes me want to do it for myself.

[sweetr72]

I wanted and had my kids very early in life..I was just talking to my daughter who is 9 today about WISHING I had gone on to college...she asked what I wanted to be when I was her age...I wanted to be a veternarian and really could have been...I wish I had gone to college and you may regret not doing it while you are still young and able. I have three kids to support now and have to work full time to support them...I will encourage you to stick it out the way I am trying to encourage my own children...Im 35 and working in a discount store!!! I should have listened to my Mother!!

Dawn

[jvwheeler]

At least that is what I keep telling my daughter who graduated from high school last month.

Having a degree will often be the delineation point for getting looked at for the good job and not these days in a tight job market. The degree doesn't just stand for education, it stands for commitment and drive.

It may not be easy, but I think it would definitely be worth it in the long run. Best of luck in making your decision.

[ChestersMom]

At the risk of sounding like your mother, here's my two cents' worth.

I've been in the workforce for 30 years, so you can imagine the wealth of knowledge my brain contains. Unfortunately, it does me absolutely no good whatsoever when looking for a job. Employers these days don't care if you have a degree in basket weaving, as long as you have a degree.

My father begged me to go to college right out of high school, offered to pay, etc. All I wanted was to get a job and make money. Well, at the age of 46 I finally decided to go to school. After 30 years, I'm barely making what all the young whippersnappers are making, all because I don't have a degree.

I promise you, your worth in the workforce will be tripled if not quadrupled with a degree. Maybe not at first, but I guarantee it won't take long. Do yourself and your child a favor - bite the bullet now. You'll never regret it. Four years now will make your entire worklife and retirement unmeasureably better for you and your family. You have a lifetime to work, might as well make the most of it.

I only have three regrets in life (one, an ex-husband, but I try to forget about him!!!); two, I started smoking (recently quit) and three, I didn't go to college. Well, I'm a 49 year-old college sophomore and let me tell you, I've never felt better about myself. I've kicked myself in the rear numerous times over the years for not taking my dad up on his offer. Please don't put yourself in that situation. Go to school now, it will be much easier on you.

[Ozzie'sperson]

Way to go, Chester'sMom! You're "fixing" what you consider one of your biggest mistakes. The surest way to end regret! I hope to go back for a master's someday so your example is hope for me, too!

Gorjess, this was excellent advice from someone who has lived it. I know it may not seem that way now, but get your education while you can. It's one of the ONLY things in life that, once you have it, it can NEVER be taken away.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[makemepretty]

It is extremely hard to get a job without a college degree. I can't imagine why in this day that anyone would not get one. It is much better to try and then if you can't handle it drop out than to not try at all IMHO. My sister struggled with college, it was hard plus she had to do rotations. She's a pharmacist(we have 3 in the family now Let me tell you how good the pay is(six figures)! She is now pregnant and her marriage is ending, I bet she is so glad to be able to work anywhere she wants and know she'll be able to support her child. I know you're probably exhausted and burned out but in this economy a college degree is a MUST.

[bren]

I agree with what everyone has already said. It is VERY difficult to find a job these days without a degree. Even jobs that are entry level and pay crap are sometimes difficult to get because you don't have a degree. I would recommend that you go to college. Even if you started off taking a few classes. It will be well worth it in the end.

[cheryl000]

Girl... step out of the box and take a look at yourself. You are SO blessed! You have parents that LOVE you, You're SMART, and you have the ABILITY to go to college. I WANTED to go to college when I was young, but my parents told me that they would not help me because they have 3 other kids. I tried working AND going to school but it was really hard and I wasn't getting by. I ended up joining the military and FINALLY was able to go to college.

School may sound like it sucks and isn't really needed. But go look at some job advertisements. I have 5 years of IT supervisor military experience AND an associates with computers and people STILL will NOT talk to me unless I have a 4 year degree. And I'm only 3 classes away from it!

I am going to be 26 when I finally get it and I feel like I'm so behind everyone else. Go to college and just get it over with. You can't say that college will always be there for you. The scholarships that you have earned, your ACT scores, and even possibly your parents help might not be there in the next couple of years. Don't let college be a "someday" thing, because it might never happen.

[RLC12345678]

I agree with everything that has already been said. Go to college. Like vainchick said, take a lighter load and work at the same time. Finish in 5 years instead of 4. You won't regret it and you will be setting a great example for Angel. Aren't you going to want him to go to college????

[Erin]

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???

[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by vainchick5

Jessica trust me, sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, parents always want more. Don't do this for them, while it's a noble cause, do it for YOU and for ANGEL. You have to set an example for him to follow as a child, teen and later an adult. You can still certainly work and save money, while you go to school. I didn't like school but I went to college and got my bacherlors degree, then on to my masters. Not because of my parents but because I didn't want to work stupid jobs for the rest of my life. I wanted to be something bigger and something more. I wanted to be proud of myself and not worry about my future. Now I know with the degrees under my belt, I never have to worry about my future. I have great degree and great experience. Take it from me GO TO COLLEGE. I know it's inconvenient, but trust me it will be well worth it. Times are changing, and already a bachelors degree is a bare minimum for just about all jobs that have room for advancement. Take my advice, bite the bullet and just go to school. You don't have to take an overwhelming amount of classes, go 5 years instead of 4 to decrease your load. I'm sure not only will your parents be proud of you, but your son will grow up proud of you but YOU will be proud of you.

I agree.