I Enrolled in College Ten Years After High School

I was not able to go to college right after high school because our family had no money. My father left the family when I was young, and we ended up going on welfare because my mother had four young kids to raise. I'm proud to say my mother trained to go back to work and we got off welfare as soon as possible with her getting a job.

Working for a living

I was not smart enough to get full scholarships, so I was resigned to the fact that I was going to have to work instead of going to college. I ended up working for ten years, first at a gas station pumping gas and doing light auto mechanics, and then I worked in construction building house additions and renovations.

By working first instead of going to college, I believe that gave me a really good lesson on what life is really like. I then appreciated college much more than I would have if I started right after high school. I was taught the value of money early on because I was receiving a paycheck which helped me get a concept of how money worked.

Sheltered life?

While we're young and in high school, we are pretty sheltered by our parents as they make all our decisions that affect our life. So, you don't really get a true concept of what life is really about. Then going to college right after high school is in reality an extension of still being a sheltered life.

Many colleges can lead to a party environment while students are getting an education. This possibly could make it worse for young people as they still don't have the full responsibilities that adults have. They may be exposed to some of life’s experiences, but not usually the major ones.

Working and studying

I worked in construction in the northeast, so every winter was freezing when you are working out in the cold. At that point, I decided I wanted to go back to college and get a nine-to-five job in an office. I checked out my options in the area where I lived and found that we had a highly regarded Community College that I believed was best for me for getting back to education.

The main thing to be sure of before you find the college is to find out what four-year college you want to finish your education. Make sure that they take all the credits from the Community College. The Community College that was near me was rated as a very good college and the four-year colleges in my area accepted all the credits.

Paying for an education

I quit my full-time construction job and started going to college full-time. To accomplish this, I worked part-time jobs. I took a few part-time jobs and it ended up the I started working full-time hours with three jobs. So, I ended up paying for my school as I went due to the Community College fees was less than the four-year college.

The idea is to pay off the two years of college with the money you get from working. You'll be free and clear when you want to start a four-year college. When you get an Associate’s Degree or another two-year degree, many companies will hire you at that point and some of them will end up paying for your continuing education.

If that isn't going to happen, then you may decide to take student loans, but don't expect to have that loan forgiven. These are unusual times, and it looks like this will be a one-time deal of loan forgiveness that you are experiencing now.

Picking your major

One thing I've learned over the years is when I talked to students starting in college, they had no idea what major they wanted to pick. By working after high school at various jobs, they will get an idea of what they like or don't like. Exposure to the salaries that you can expect from certain jobs will be gained.

Taking some time in between high school and college is a big benefit for being able to function in this world. It helps you to afford college, appreciate college, and have a good start in real life.

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Disclaimer: The original version of this story was published on another platform. Link to original version:

https://medium.com/illumination/i-enrolled-in-college-ten-years-after-high-school-1789a1f13d3