The question of whether or not I would attend college after high school always had one discrete answer. Yes. Where I grew up (an upper middle class suburb in Wisconsin), college is expected by the majority of high school students upon graduation. In my opinion, this has proven to be both good and bad for me. I can't complain for having parents that have strongly encouraged as well as supported me to attend a great university with so many opportunities for success. However, it's such a swift transition during the peak time of one's life where self discovery is at its highest. With that said, my career plans have altered numerous times after being exposed to different classes as well as just finding out what I really want and am interested in since living in Minneapolis.
This realization has caused me to ask myself why there is such a stigma about attending college right away after high school and if it's really necessary. I always felt like if someone didn't go to school right away or took a year off, they were "lost" or looked down upon in some way. To be honest, now I can say that those individuals who take some time off between the move from high school to secondary education are the wise ones in many ways. They have time to learn about themselves, get experience and exposure to the areas that interest them without making too much of a commitment, and potentially save time and money.
Secondary education is not always the answer for everyone and should not be the immediate and only option after graduating high school. It's best to ingest the world a little bit, get your feet wet without having to dive in, and explore the areas which one is curious about (without the pressure of being pushed into the open waters and having no idea of of where to go.) Secondary education is not disappearing anytime soon and it's more prevalent now than ever for older students to enroll without complication. As a society, we need to accept people's space and give them time to figure out one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Guidance is fine but discrimination is not.
I do not know whether or not they are the wise ones, although time will tell, but I do agree with you that one should get his or her feet wet before diving in and I think it explains why students need to take general education classes in university, so that they can have enough time to decide what they want to major in. You bring up a good point worthwhile to think about is that is it good/necessary to go to college right after high school and why not take a year off to learn about oneself or even get into the field one is interested in. From my perspectives, attending college is one way to understand more about the word from different directions and is one way to get knowledge in order to contribute to the society after graduating. So far I don't regret attending college right after high school, but I would definitely take a year off after graduating from university ,learn about myself before going to grad school if I want to.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, I think one should follow his or her own will, instead of doing what the majority of people are doing or what majority of people are not doing. I believe whether or not attending college right after graduating from high school, there is always chances for one to learn and make use of it.
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