Let’s face it: college isn’t for everyone. More and more ambitious young students are learning that they can be better educated outside of the traditional university system, and one in five of the students that do go end up dropping out. Times are changing, and so is education.
No college campus is big enough to hold a major for every possible career, there are other options. So if you have a passion to do something big in this world but feel that college will pigeon-hole you in, fret not. Here are five great options you can consider while pondering your next big step.
Trade School
According to Forbes, there is a serious skills deficit in the world today. So if you don’t want to go to college but love doing things with your hands, then you’re in luck. A trade school could be the perfect education choice for you, for a lot of reasons.
Trade schools can be much more reasonably priced when compared to traditional four-year universities. They also take half the time to complete, with most students finishing in only two years! This allows you to study what you love doing in a hands-on fashion and gives you a head start in the private sector over your friends who attended a traditional college.
Surf Academy
Surfing is so much more than a summer pastime. It’s a lifestyle and a sport that can teach you valuable lessons about, life, the basics of business, and your inner self. It’s no wonder so many entrepreneurs use a surf break as a way to solve some of the more complex problems they’re working on.
Many young students decide to take a gap semester and go to Rio, Brazil, or Kalama beach park in Hawaii to take surfing lessons for beginners. While at surf school you will learn from a surf instructor who will take you to the best surf spots and teach you the ins and outs of how to handle a surfboard. Beginner surfers often experience the thrill of their first wave after only one beginner surf lesson. Learning a relaxed classic style of surfing is a great way to increase your skill level and to learn deeper truths about yourself along the way.
Seminary or Religious School
If you come from a religious background, then you might enjoy training to work in your church. Or, if you like to travel, you can take your religious degree across the world to work in a church in one of your favorite states or countries. If you’re unsure about if you would be a good fit for the job, then looking over your collection of new King James Bibles might give you a good hint. If you get excited about the new version of translations in Hebrew text and Greek text of both the new and old testament, or if you have an authorized version of the original King James Version of the bible, then this might be the career for you.
If you don’t enjoy public speaking, don’t fret. There are plenty of positions in the church aside from a pastor. There is a need for bible scholars who love to read and understand the complex vocabulary and verb forms of the text. There are also positions in daycare, guidance counseling, and even music!
Enter the Stock Market
The days of needing a degree to buy and sell stocks are long gone. If you would rather invest your time learning about the stock market at home, then you can save hundreds of thousands of dollars on a degree and begin to use that money on investing.
Be aware, however, that the stock market should not be used as a get-rich-quick scheme, and there are no guarantees. Yet, millions of people worldwide are able to make a comfortable living from the stock market once they have invested the time and effort it takes to learn how to be good at it.
Become a WWOOFer
World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms, or WWOOF for short, offers young people the opportunity to travel the world and work on farms while learning the local language and culture. This is a great option for would-be world travelers who are strapped for cash because WWOOF allows you a free room, food, and board in exchange for the farming work you do. WWOOF is a great place for artists, biologists, and of course future farmers. WWOOF has been a fun way for high school grads to discover the world, and discover themselves at the same time.
