We live  in this world where we are told that college should be the only option, where all students should focus on being college ready, but I’ve been really thinking: is that really the best option for everyone?

What if we really struggle in school and don’t want to go through another few years of it? What if our goal is to be happy?

I refuse to listen to all the talk about how we can only be successful if we get a degree, get a job, and make lots of money. Sure, if that’s all you care about, then maybe that does sound like a success story. But if anyone is like me and has different values and moralities than those encompassed by the “college-experience,” then maybe I’m right to say that we shouldn’t let people fill our heads with the idea that college is a necessity.

There are other options, so let’s not disregard them. Success in the eyes of an American patriot may be serving their country in the armed forces, and not attending another 4 year institution where they don’t feel adequate. Maybe someone else’s idea of success is to travel around the country and to do odd jobs to get by because they don’t want to be held down in classrooms and end up behind a desk for the rest of their life.

Don’t get me wrong, I respect and even admire those who have the audacity to take on post-secondary school. I just don’t think that we should all be pressured to follow that path.