As you (or your child) near the end of high school, a lot of life-changing decisions begin to pop up.

It’s time to get a driver’s license, you should register to vote … and you need to decide what your next big step in life is going to be — and, for the record, living in your parents’ basement forever doesn’t qualify.

Typically this big step boils down to one of three options: you can go to college, you can attend a trade school, or you can chart your own path. While there are plenty of negatives to point out about each of these choices, the focus here is going to be more positive.

Here are a few of the top reasons to consider each of the three options listed above.

Traditional College

Let’s start with the most common one of the trio: traditional college. You’re probably already feeling incredible pressure to attend college because “it’s what everyone else is doing.”

However, there are actually quite a few other perfectly logical reasons to attend college apart from peer pressure and that annoying aunt who keeps asking you “what you’re going to do with your life” at every family get together.

• Positives of a Traditional College

  • 1. You can access certain careers:

  • Many careers are specifically available to those who hold advanced college degrees. If you want to help resolve many of the major problems that the medical field is facing, for instance, you will likely need a traditional degree of one sort or another in order to get a job in the healthcare field.

  • 2. You have time to specialize:

  • If you’re interested in writing, but you don’t know what kind of a writer you want to be, college gives you time to learn the craft and slowly point that craft in a specific direction, such as journalism, technical writing, or a freelancing.

  • 3. You can see the world:

  • Many college students take a semester or more to study abroad. This ability to take one’s studies overseas isn’t as easily translatable when it comes to a trade school or a job, both of which often have a more geographically localized footprint.

Trade School

The classic option for those who don’t attend college, trade schools provide a viable alternative to a brick-and-mortar academic education. While it doesn’t always receive the same level of respect as a college degree, trade schools are actually quite exciting avenues to legitimate careers that are both financially and personally rewarding.

• Positives of a Trade School

  • 1. You gain access to increasing opportunities:

    Many trades are growing at breakneck speeds and have tremendous potential for any committed, hardworking student. This includes both men and women, as can be seen in the growing success of women in the burgeoning plumbing industry.

  • 2. You can get hands-on experience:

    One easy way that vocational schools stand apart from a college education is the simple fact that they often give students an immersive, hands-on experience in the field that they’ve chosen. 

  • 3. You can save money:

    The average trade school education costs around $33,000 — roughly the cost of a single year at a traditional college.

Alternative Careers

Of course, at the end of the day, you don’t have to attend college or a trade school. While it may be helpful and even necessary to have degrees and/or certifications for many careers, there are plenty of alternatives for ambitious individuals to pursue without the need for further formal education or training. Here are a few common occupations that typically sidestep the need for any formal education:

• 1. Salesman:

• While the idea of becoming a salesman may sound stereotypically repulsive, it can actually be a very rewarding career. Millennials have rejected the traditionally tacky sales pitch, and the modern salesman is expected to make genuine efforts to connect customers with solutions. In addition, there are a variety of sales positions, some of which can reach six-figure salaries.

• 2. IT career:

• While there are many traditional college options for an IT specialist, a gifted individual can take their technological prowess into the private sector by pursuing relevant IT certifications and then applying for jobs.

• 3. Entrepreneur:

• Finally, there’s the entrepreneurial route. While entrepreneurs can benefit from either a vocational or traditional education, neither is a prerequisite to start a business. If you have drive, tenacity, and a passion to build your own company, you may be able to start your own business without the need to ever step foot in a classroom.

other valuable tips:

On the College Hunt: How to Find the Right School for You

Higher Education: Steps to Decide the Major for You

Finding Your Future

There are plenty of reasons to attend traditional college and trade schools. In addition, there are perfectly viable options available to those who are eager to enter the workforce as soon as possible.

However, the essential piece of the puzzle that must be considered is how each of these options fits into your larger passions and plans as an individual. As you search your heart and consider what you truly are interested in pursuing, make sure to weigh all of the possibilities and keep your options open so that you can choose a path forward that is the best one for you, in particular.

Image Credit: by Pexels

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