Piece of advice for my young NTers. Vol college

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Quick and simple thread but huge mistake I made. Don't be scared to take a year or two off after highschool and before college to figure out what you really wanna do. I regret the major I chose and it prob could have been prevented if not for the pressure from my fam.
 
This is amazing advice for those that have no idea what they want to truly do w/ their life, but I doubt any of these young NT'ers will listen. 

I've changed my major/school 3 times now (huge waste of money and time).

I've been saying for a while now that the "system" (the expectation of going to college immediately after HS) is pretty flawed for a lot of kids.

Yes, college is one of the funnest times of your life, but you really have to remember the main reason why you're there (or plan on going).
 
agreed, because some kids can learn alot in 2 years time, getting jobs and gaining experience. eventually, the ones that don't even go to college, will have a stable job and family.
 
What are some things you would do if you took a year off? I hear people travel the world, intern, etc. but I never really got why? Is it to get a better understanding of a field you're interested in entering?
 
If you know where you want to be down the road, I actually suggest not taking a year off between high school and college. That helps keep you focused and will get you to your goal sooner rather than later, not to mention avoiding the possibility of ruining your work ethic if you've already developed a strong one.

On the other hand, if high school was a struggle and you're not sure what you want to do, go for some time off if it's beneficial.

Just my thoughts.
 
I feel taking a year of will be bad for me. I'm not sure if I'd ever get back into college.

I have a couple of majors I feel I'd be interested in and will probably just try to figure out which one it is that I want.
 
I changed my major a ton but I still graduated on time (would've finished a semester earlier if I didn't, though). Advice for those that don't wanna skip a year, don't declare a major until you've taken a class or two in that field--that way if you do wanna go in a different direction, you could just use those credits as an elective instead of them becoming wasted.
 
Originally Posted by Durden7

No.  Just go to CC and take general ed. courses.
Yup, you don't have to go fulltime into college. Just take some GED classes while you work or something. 
 
Money87 wrote:
Quick and simple thread but huge mistake I made. Don't be scared to take a year or two off after highschool and before college to figure out what you really wanna do. I regret the major I chose and it prob could have been prevented if not for the pressure from my fam.

Truth.  I took 3yrs off after high school and went straight to the workforce.  Got stuck in menial jobs the whole time only making about $12/hr, it's frustrating and got me motivated to get back into school.  Most kids right out of high school, not all of them, don't value their education or fully take advantage of the opportunities available at many colleges and universities.

Honestly, if I went to college right off the bat I probably would have done terribly and ended up on academic probation based off the habits I picked up in high school.  But I matured a lot in those three years and made the decision to go to school on my own and not to because of pressure from the family.

Anyway, waiting worked out well for me and I have a $85,000 in scholarships to show for it.  Listen to what Money87 is saying younger NT'ers, he knows what he's talking about
 
So many people jump in head first not even checking if the pool is filled..but too you may feel like yea, this is what I want to do! It took me three different tries to find what really stuck for me. I like the idea of going to cc and taking some of the prereqs. It saves you money and while you're there you're already in that "mode" instead of telling yourself every time a new semester starts that this will be the one you start in...something always "comes up" or you drag your feet.
 
It really just depends on your motivation level.

Some people take time off and never make it back into school.

Others come back much more focused.
 
Originally Posted by beerdrum108

If you know where you want to be down the road, I actually suggest not taking a year off between high school and college. That helps keep you focused and will get you to your goal sooner rather than later, not to mention avoiding the possibility of ruining your work ethic if you've already developed a strong one.

On the other hand, if high school was a struggle and you're not sure what you want to do, go for some time off if it's beneficial.

Just my thoughts.

I agree.  Taking a year or two off to do what exactly?  How am I suppose to figure out what I want to become in life if i'm working at a crappy job, smoking weed, and playing video games all day?

If you have no idea what you want to do then use the first 2 years of college to figure it out.  You don't have to declare a major until you're a junior.

The hard part is picking a major that deals with your passion vs. a major that is more practical in the real world...

science, business, engineering, medical etc. = practical use in the 'real' world
vs
physchology, philosophy, film, communications etc. = unemployment
 
Agreed.

Not sure if i would've taken two years, but a year would've been wonderful! When you think about it, if you're the typical student you don't really get a break from school. K-12 and then you're off to college for another 4-years (if you graduate on time) and you can add any type of graduate program (including medicine, law, etc.)

High school graduation gift should be a ticket to another country or something...
 
i regret taking a year off 
tired.gif

at least go to a cc like someone mentioned up there
 
...i hated hs so goin into college right after would have been a huge mistake...enlisted four years...got out...now in last semester till I get my MS.ed...

...a break is good for some and bad for others...depends on U...but research ur major then decide...cant afford to waste time n money...unless you got it...
 
Obviously if you are certain of what you want to do and where you want to be in the future, then going straight to college is fine. However if ur like me and many other people you left HS with no clue what you wanted to do. Got thrown into college and graduated with a degree you want almost nothing to do with. Just want the youngins to know there are choices out there!
 
Originally Posted by yomegaaa


Truth.  I took 3yrs off after high school and went straight to the workforce.  Got stuck in menial jobs the whole time only making about $12/hr, it's frustrating and got me motivated to get back into school.  



this happens to a lot of people, and then they get stuck with those jobs.

i know someone that was stuck in a job like that, but they gave him a few raises here and there so he stuck with it. he started making 45,000 a year and then whent up eventually too 73,000 3 months before he was fired 3 days before his wedding and has a ton of bills from buying a house.

he found a job again quick, but now he's down to 23,000 a year. 
ohwell.gif
 
Originally Posted by scshift

What are some things you would do if you took a year off? I hear people travel the world, intern, etc. but I never really got why? Is it to get a better understanding of a field you're interested in entering?

that down time is for cats to quote unquote "productively" stall for time before a big yet not so big step in life (COLLEGE)... but "usually" most who do that get comfortable and eventually say %$@*! it and dnt go back to school.  
 
I think it really depends on your readiness and situation. Some people cannot afford nor have the maturity to excel or at least fare okay in college (yes, it takes some level of maturity to do it). I didn't take HS seriously at all and was plain mediocre and realized during graduation that I'm wasting my opportunities. Got my act together, kicked !+% in CC, transferred to a University and is kicking its !+%. All I'm gonna say is I won't get this internship if I didn't go to a university and it's definitely much more than anything I've earned working previous jobs. College ain't for everybody, you just gotta leverage it to put yourself in a better situation without putting yourself in a deep hole (aka massive student loan debt)
 
Im about to be in college. I know people always change their mind on what they want to do but Im just determined not to,
 
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