After high school, the pressure to figure out what the next step is for post-graduation is immense. This includes numerous expectations, especially adults believing kids need to go to college. Due to their beliefs, students are often under the impression a 4-year college education is the only way to be successful and live a happy life. This is not true.

“I have a hard time seeing myself go anywhere but college,” Delaney D. ‘21 said.

While the college path is an amazing plan for some, there are other options to keep in mind.

“Nobody ever talks to students about options other than a 4-year college, and I feel like some kids are forced into it when they have other interests,” junior Mackenzie B. said.

First, consider the financial aspect. For some families, paying the cost of college is not a reality. What is a reality is debt. The United States has accumulated 1.4 trillion dollars in student loan debt according to debt.org.

Sixty-four percent of college graduates in Ohio end up with debt, and Ohio’s average student loan debt is over $30 thousand, according to a 2016 study conducted by The Institute for College Access and Success. Students could have to pay off loans far into their life, or leave college in a poor financial state, which doesn’t set them up for success.  

“College is too much money to spend if you’re getting a degree for some occupation that doesn’t require a traditional degree,” Mackenzie B. said.

It’s true; not all jobs require a 4-year college. If a student knows what they want to do and training for their trade is offered at a vocational school, they could be able to focus on their specific career and get out of school quicker and for less money.  Also, some aren’t prepared for the 4-year college experience. The Institute of Education Statistics estimates 40 percent of attendees at a “normal” college drop out before completing their degree.

“The thought of college is intimidating. I still have time to figure things out, but I think it’ll come sooner than I expect,” Delaney D. said.

In reality, some have no clue what they want to do with their life. Perhaps college is the right path for them, but they aren’t quite ready for it. Rather than throwing away money on tuition so you can take general education courses forever, or switch majors repeatedly, they can take a gap year. A gap year can be a useful tool for people to explore their interests because a high school students’ focus goes to grades and academic achievement rather than developing their passions and an understanding of themselves.

Research by the Gap Year Association has shown students who take a gap year overwhelmingly show satisfaction with their jobs later in life, and 88 percent claimed their gap year added to their employability. A fear associated with gap years is that students won’t return to school, but over 90 percent of the students who take gap years return to college within a year, refreshed and more assured in their career choices.

Gap years and trade schools aren’t the only options besides the traditional college path. Neither is college bad, in fact it is the opposite.  There simply needs to be a shift in mindset for not only kids, but also adults, where it’s acknowledged that a happy, successful life can come from pathways beyond what society expects.