What To Do After Highschool When You Can’t Go To College

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Here are some options on what to do after high school if you don’t want to go to college there are some alternatives to college that will still allow you to make a respectable living. No matter what other people tell you, college is not for everyone. Throughout my work, as a counselor, I have seen that college is not for everyone.

So, don’t feel bad if you are not good at school or do not want to go to school. No one is a one size fit all formula but no matter if you don’t want to go to college or not I DO believe that you should be a productive member of society.

Even if you don’t know what to do after high school it is best for you to learn this lesson I am about to tell you right now. You are the master of your own life I always believe that whatever path you choose in life you should be able to financially provide for yourself.  So whatever your path is to make sure you do it and do it well.

But I also want to be real with you. Statistically NOT going to college can put you at a disadvantage statistics-wise.

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~ Let’s talk about facts first.

• 70% of Americans will study at a 4-year college, but less than 2/3rds will graduate
• 30% of college students drop out after their first year
• A high school graduate earns 84% less than a typical graduate from a four-year college
• Being unable to balance school, jobs, and family is one of the top reasons for dropping out
•  50% of college dropouts have incomes lower than $35,000
• Those without a college degree are twice as likely to be unemployed.
• A college degree is worth $365,000 for the average American man after you subtract all the direct and indirect costs over a lifetime
•  A college degree is worth $185,000 for the average American woman

Okay so now that you have these quick little stats what does it mean exactly? I know you are thinking that this is supposed to be a post about the alternatives to college not telling me how much my life is going to suck without it. But when you are thinking about what to do after high school, it is best to know how your decisions now may or may not affect your future.

I am going to get into the alternatives of college but unless you happen to one of those teen phenomenons who started a YouTube channel when they were 13 and when they graduate high school they have millions of dollar saved up in the bank; being unemployed and making less money than everyone is a real possibility if you choose to never go to college.

Hey, I am just keeping it real. You may have a harder time in life if you choose not to go. BUT This post will help you out a lot. I am going to give you some REAL alternatives for those who don’t want to go to college and not some ambiguous tips and tricks such as “start a million-dollar business” that most people are probably NOT going to nor do they have the means to do.  Also, check out my video below on how to find a good job with little to no experience, and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel by clicking here. 

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~ Try Community college

When you are thinking about what to do after high school I want you to consider community college. Yes, community college is still college and you said you did not want to go to college. But community college is SOOOOO different from a traditional college. It is better as far as cost and workload.

Plus you do not have to go all four years you can just get a certificate in a specific area or an associate’s degree. Both of which can help you get a better-paying job. Some people go to community college and feel like “hey this college thing is not so bad” and then transfer to a four-year college right away or after a few years.  And they will only have two more years to go to get a BS degree.

What To Do After Highschool

Here are some good facts about community college according to read speaker when determining if it is a good fit for you:

• The average age of a community college student is 28. Compare this to four-year universities, where 79% of the undergraduate population is between 18-24 years of age.

• 17% of community college students are single parents. Being a parent comes with its own special set of challenges. Being a single parent while simultaneously enrolled in school is extremely challenging, and many single parents do not complete any sort of certification at community college.

• 22% of community college students work full-time in addition to full-time studies. the full-time workweek in the United States is 40 hours a week. Add to his work week a full load of courses, and the student is extremely busy. Working full-time may also present obstacles to the completion of a certificate at the community college.

• 41% of community college students are part-time students who work full-time. As part-time students, this group of students is more likely to fail to complete courses due to other commitments that take priority over school (e.g. financial obligations).

No community college is not perfect, but it is still an option, and based on the information you can make a decision on if it is right for you.

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~Try Trade schools

Yeah, I know this is still school. But unlike college where you sit in a class all day and study, trade schools are more hands-on. If you just want to make a living doing something you love this may be for you.

Going to a trade school you can be a mechanic, beautician, or some other technical certification and you can make a decent living. Once again it does not take as long as a degree, some take less than a year, are cheaper, and are more hands-on as oppose to doing bookwork and papers all day.

What To Do After Highschool

According to Rockford Career College, Some of the Benefit Of Trade School Are

1. High Demand: Most programs that trade schools offer are in high demand in the workforce. Trade schools will prepare students with the essential skills and hands-on training so they are ready for the work field when they graduate.

2. Smaller: Career colleges usually have smaller classes for students. Unlike a university, you will not be sitting in large lecture halls with a bunch of strangers! You will be able to get to know each and every one of your peers. With smaller classes, professors are able to give one-on-one attention that each student deserves. Besides, who just wants to be another face in a large room? Not me!

3. Job Experience: You are already one step ahead of the game! Not only are you getting an education but you are also getting a lot of hands-on training in your area of study. Students who complete their program leave the classroom with the confidence and readiness to jump straight into the workforce.

4. Placement Rate: When looking into a trade school, you will know the placement rates of the field of study you are interested in. Before committing to a school, you will be able to know what your odds are for finding a job when you graduate.

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~ Try good ole fashion Hard Work

If you are lost on what to do after high school then know that despite what those stats say working hard can get you to where you need to go. I have an uncle that started working in fast food when he was in high school. Now he is the store manager of several stores and makes more money than most people his age.

Without a college degree. If college is not for you, there is hope that you can still make good money, own a home, and do all that you want to do out of life.  But be willing to work hard and be willing to work your way up from the bottom.

And know that for most people you will have to work at one place for many years and gained promotion after promotion to get the biggest benefit out of hard work. Check out my blog on the ultimate job search so you can get the best job possible.

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~ Try The Military

My mother joined the military when she was 21, two years after she had me. And we loved it. She did not go to college right away but over time she got a Master’s degree and guess what?

The military paid for it, and she is loan-free. And plus when she was in the military we got to travel all over the world. The military is a great alternative for many reasons.

If you want to go to college they will pay for it, you get certifications and experience while in the military that can transfer to a civilian job once you get out, and when you get out and want to get a federal job you can get a veteran’s preference.

What To Do After Highschool

Here are some of the benefits of joining the military as a courtesy of Military Wallet. 

Full medical coverage for you and your family. Military members are immediately eligible for full health care benefits for themselves and their immediate family members as soon as they enter the service, and if you stay through until retirement, you and your family can take these benefits with you when you leave the military. These health benefits extend to immediate family (e.g. spouses and children, and sometimes dependent parents).

Skills and training. The military provides advanced technical training in a variety of career fields and also offers opportunities for additional training when you are off-duty. Many military members are able to attend college that is often paid for by tuition assistance. You can use your training opportunities to advance within your career field, earn certifications or degrees, or prepare yourself to transition back into civilian life.

 Leadership opportunities. Military leadership is a great way to get your resume on top of the pile for your next career. If you were to hire someone, would you want to hire someone with proven skills and experience and a degree, or someone right out of high school/college? Give me the experienced professionals any day of the week! (More tips for creating your post-military resume).

Travel opportunities and vacation time. The military has installations all around the world and pays for you and your family to get there and back. Your off duty time is yours and you are free to travel and see the world. The military gives you 30 days of paid leave per year, not including weekends and federal holidays.

The military also has several resorts around the world, including the Hale Koa resort in Hawaii, Shades of Green at Disney World in Florida, and resorts in Japan, Germany, and South Korea. Most major military installations also have base lodging (military hotel), where you can stay on a space-available basis for less than the cost of an off-base hotel.

 Education opportunities after you leave the military. The new GI Bill pays veterans who served at least 36 months a monthly living stipend and full tuition to pay for college after they leave the military. Depending on how long the service member commits, this Post-9/11 GI Bill can be transferred to spouses and children.

 Buy a home with no money down with a VA Loan. The Veterans Affairs office offers veterans a way to purchase a home with no money down through the VA Loan. This makes it easier to purchase a home while you are serving, or after you have left the service.

I mean now that you think about it if you are wondering what to do after highschool, the military seems like a great idea doesn’t it.

What To Do After Highschool When You Don’t Want To Go To College ~ Try Online college

Do not laugh at online colleges. They have a better reputation than they use to have say 15 years ago. In fact, I got my Master’s degree and attending my Ph.D. classes at an accredited online school. If you have some type of social phobia where you do not like being around people, have children (check out my blog on single moms going back to school), or work a lot and need a free schedule online school can be for you.

You still get the end result of a degree either way. But online school is not easy.  It requires you to be a self-starter and really good time management.  No one is going to force you to get up and go to class every day. You have to take the responsibility of managing your online classes on your own.

What To Do After Highschool

Just a few facts about online college courtesy of Walden University. 

The quality of accredited online degree programs is equal to or better than face-to-face education. 77% of academic leaders rate the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face education, up from 57.2% in 2002.^*

There is now a wider selection of online degree programs. An impressive 62.4% of higher education institutions have evolved from offering only online courses to providing complete online degrees, representing a dramatic increase from 34.5% in 2002.^*

 A new high of 69.1% of chief academic leaders now say that online learning is critical to their long-term strategy, up from less than 50% in 2002.^*

 Studying online offers students:

• The flexibility to balance work, family, and school
• The ability to study anytime, anywhere 24/7
• Access to accelerated, fast-track courses
• A cheaper option than on-campus courses
• Faster time to completion
• A variety of online courses and degree programs
• Greater opportunity to earn specific educational credentials
• An effective way to learn compared to a traditional college setting

College has been good to me and I have a few degrees, but college is not for everyone. There are many things you can do to still pursue your goals in life and not go to college.

When thinking about what to do after highschool I want you to remember this. Whatever you do, I urge you be serious about your craft. Do not say you want to be a model when you graduate high school and have no concrete plan for it. Do not go chasing your dreams of being a singer by visiting a karaoke bar every night in hopes of getting discovered.

There is nothing wrong with those dreams if you would rather do that than go to college. But be realistic and work at them and come up with a plan.   And by a plan, I mean a feasible plan that you can actually do.  Do not just wish upon a star and hope that one day you will be successful.  Life does not work that like.

Here are some options other than college that you can pursue. But to be honest, if you want to make really good money then more than likely it is going to require some type of certification or additional classes.

The key here when trying to figure out what you should do with your life is to pick an option that is right for you.  Sometimes that means not going to college after high school but going later in life.

And maybe you may be like the inventor of Facebook and make a billion dollars without a college degree….note I said maybe.  Most importantly, be honest with yourself, your skills, and what you want out of life as you make your decision.

I hope that these tips helped you decide what to do after highschool.  If you know someone that is unsure of if they want to attend college or not then help a friend out and share this post with them.