Anina
What are the most valuable skills I can learn on my own without college?
Hi! My name is Anina and I'm a high school senior interning at CareerVillage. As many of my friends gripe about the cost of college tuition, they suggest getting skills that aren't taught at a college and getting a career that doesn't involve an expensive degree and four years of your life. What kinds of skills might a recent high school graduate be able to teach themselves in order to get a relatively high-paying job, without the college degrees? #college #money #job-skills
2 answers
Rick Harris
Rick’s Answer
Hello Anina,
Life is an educational process. College or not, it's your choice. I'd first recommend that you try to narrow down a few things that interest you. There are plenty of tools to help you with that process. One that I point people to is a free resource from O*Net, the Federal Government's site for Occupational information. https://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html It can help you determine your interests. Ultimately, If you end up doing something you don't like just for the money, you'll wind up being miserable or you'll end up leaving to do something different. 70% of college graduates are doing something different from what they went to college for. Try to find out what you'd like to do. Then do a little research to see if you can make a decent living. Hating a high paying job is not a way to live. Once you find something that you like, that will pay you well enough for you to support yourself and/or your family in a comfortable way, then pursue whatever education is required to get into that job. If it's skilled trades, great. There are tons of clean high skill, high pay jobs open in manufacturing, and other related fields. Many people work in those fields, make nice incomes, support their families, and are quite happy when they get home at the end of the day. Those jobs are NOT consolation prizes. It's a choice, and going to college, getting into debt, is no guarantee of success or happiness.
Adrienne De Rose
Adrienne’s Answer
Hello- Remember education and life experiences are ongoing as one learns to grow as a person. However, if you feel that college is not for you, have you considered learning a trade. Currently, there is a lack of plumbers, electricians and carpenters. Does that interest you? Also you may want to enroll in a community college and take some courses, because many are getting a degree and at least your experience will include some college experience.