What Can I Do Instead Of College

Earn A Vocational Or Career Training Certificate

Not all careers require a four-year degree from a university many professions place more value in an industry certification and workplace experience. Positions such as information technology experts, dental hygienists, radiology technicians, and medical transcriptionists often require a certification that takes much less time to earn than a bachelor’s degree. Your teen can research areas that interest her and find out if a certificate program is right for her.

Build A Digital Footprint And An Audience

Today, being a content creator is an increasingly viable way to earn a living. Whether you blog on Medium or WordPress, curate a newsletter on Substack, launch your own YouTube channel, build a TikTok empire, host an original podcast, become a Twitch streamer, or create educational online courses or whatever avenue you choose creating content online and building an audience can be a full-time job.Sure, not everyone is cut out to be a TikTok or Youtube influencer, but there are endless ways to monetize your content, for example through advertising and affiliate marketing.In addition to being an avenue for expressing yourself and earning an income, building a digital footprint a brand, if you will allows you to build a signal thats stronger than any college degree.

Serve In The Military

Joining the military after high school can offer a host of benefits. Your teen will have the chance to serve his country, and the military offers career opportunities in the service and the chance to earn or save money to further his education, if he chooses to do so.For more information on military opportunities, visit the United States Army’s website.

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What Kinds Of Jobs Can I Prepare For In Vocational School

You may be wondering if there are different types of trade schools. The answer is yes. Some vocational schools specialize in one specific career area, whereas others offer more program variety. The different areas that vocational schools tend to focus on include:

• Automotive

• Skilled Trades
• Social Sciences

It may also surprise you to learn that some of the fastest-growing jobs in the country can be achieved with a vocational school education. The following jobs are projected to grow in number by more than 30 percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook . program, as of May 2019, has been included as well).

• Occupational therapy assistant: $61,880
• Wind turbine service technician: $56,700
• Solar photovoltaic installer: $46,850
• Home health aide: $26,440

And these jobs are expecting a growth rate of 10 to 29 percent during the same timeframe:

• Web developer: $82,370

• Licensed practical or vocational nurse: $48,500
• Truck driver: $46,850
• Nursing assistant: $30,720

Vocational schools can even prepare you for some of the better-paying jobs out there. A bachelor’s degree that takes you four years to achieve at a traditional college can often be attained in three years at a vocational school because the programs are more focused and streamlined.

Some of the high-paying jobs that typically require a bachelor’s degreeâand that you can prepare for at a career collegeâinclude the following.

Many Successful Leaders Dont Have College Degrees

You dont need a college degree to be a successful these leaders dont have one!

1. Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs went to Reed College for computing but dropped out after just one semester. After spending some time in India, he went on to build one of the most powerful and influential companies today: Apple.

2. Richard Branson: As a dyslexic student, Branson didnt have much success in school and dropped out of high school. He is now a billionaire, and the founder and CEO of Virgin Group.

3. Dave Thomas: Founder and former CEO of Wendys, Thomas left high school to work for a restaurant in Indiana. He opened the first Wendys in 1969 and the rest is history!

4. Michael Dell: Dell went to college because his parents wanted him to become a doctor. But during school, he started a side gig refurbishing computers that became so successful, he dropped out after one year.

5. Rachael Ray: Believe it or not, Rachael Ray has no culinary training, or any degree for that matter. She used her skills, personality, and tenacity to become the amazing food star that she is today.

6. Henry Ford: Ford left his familys farm at the age of 16 to move to Detroit and work as an apprentice in a machine shop. He has no formal schooling in engineering or business, but went on to revolutionize the automotive and business world.

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Not Going To Uni: 15 Alternatives To University

• Editor-in-Chief and Career Expert

This article contains links where CareerAddict may earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

Are you not sure what to do after your A-levels but 100% positive you dont want to go to university?

Whatever your reasons whether you dont have the time or money to commit yourself to full-time study, you simply hate the idea of being in a classroom, or you just want to head straight into the world of work not going to uni isnt necessarily a bad thing .

In fact, there are many other options you can explore to jump-start your career.

So, if youre thinking about what you can do instead, take a look at these 15 university alternatives for some inspiration.

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Alternatives To College That Make Complete Sense

Society tells you it only makes sense to go to college. I disagree and argue there are 15 legitimate alternatives to college you should seriously consider.

See the contradiction? A guy who went to college and is the author of How To College tells high school seniors to reconsider automatically going to college.

My main concern is with people who go to college just because and dont have a specific reason behind their decision.

Maybe all of their friends are going, their parents expect that, or societys beaten them down with the pro-college message that doing anything else seems crazy.

What pisses me off is many times people dont need college to accomplish their life goalsstudies show that around 25% of college grads work at jobs that dont require a degreebut they sign a four to six year contract because they think they have to and wind up with a mountain of debt.

Thats so messed up!

Im convinced millions of people would be better off if they followed their passion from the start and never went to college.

So I believe you have to be clear and intentional about why youre going to college. And if you cant come up with that, dont go and instead do something else productive.

Plus the true cost of college is much higher than you think. Let me explain.

A College Degree Is No Longer A Guaranteed Path To Success If You Are Unsure About Your Career Consider These Three Alternatives

A few years ago, I heard a fantastic quote that really stuck with me:

Do today what others won’t, so that tomorrow you can do what others can’t.

The source of this quote is unknown, though a quick search revealed it might have come from San Francisco 49er’s receiver, Jerry Rice. Regardless, the message to me is clear — success tomorrow comes from preparation today.

This is a message I feel compelled to share with young adults trying to find their way in an ever-changing business environment. Today, it feels like career decisions are made based on the paths of successful and famous business tycoons, such as Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos — go to school , start a company, make millions and become famous.

Of course, this path to success is not only misleading but dangerous. The narrative leaves out the trials and tribulations and hundreds of hours of work that led up to the success, much of which included pursuing interests and challenges that nobody else was pursuing at the time.

Moreover, not everyone that found business success did so through starting a company. There are far more millionaires who work in organizations than those that sit atop the organizational chart. And those individuals had to devote time and energy becoming great at what they did — and better than others — to advance in those jobs.

So what should you do if you aren’t sure about a career path? Here are three alternatives to consider as you ponder this question.

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Enroll In Online Courses

Earlier this year, I was working in a cafe in Bali, where I met a mindfulness coach. We had hours of interesting conversations. At some point, she asked me the following question.

Tomas, my son, wants to learn design and doesnât know which school to choose. What would you recommend?

First of all, I said, think if the school is the best option. You will end up with general knowledge. No real-life experience and a massive debt that will weigh you down for years.

As an alternative look into online courses, intensive training programs and self-education. The design is not a field that requires years of education to start working and being good at it. Like in any other field your job is to provide value for businesses or individuals.

Enroll in online courses. Some are free some may cost you $20 or $5,000. But that is nothing compared to five or six figures in debt that you will accumulate in college. These learning experiences will have immediate feedback and results. You will understand what you are passionate about, what not and how it’s like to work with real clients. If you donât like something, you can always withdraw and start over.

Think about it. Is it better to invest three months in learning something online? Finish a course or two, spend a couple of thousand dollars and realize itâs not for you.

If you are interested in taking an online course, check out some of the resources below.

The Military Or College Insight From A Veteran

Growing up, I never thought I could go to college. I was never very book smart and I was never a very good student. No one told me I could even go to college, in fact I was somewhat discouraged. For me, the military was not only a dream, but also my next logical course of action.

What you do after high school is a simple question, but with so many ways to answer, this simple question can feel completely overwhelming. Sometimes, it can lead to knee-jerk decisions which can change the course of your entire life.

Theres one option in particular Id like to address: join the military or go to college?

For full disclosure’s sake: I have been both a Sergeant in the United States Army and a college graduate. Using my own personal experiences, knowledge, and just some straightforward facts, I hope to help you make the best decision you can.

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There Aren’t Enough School Counselors To Help Students Make Informed Decisions

Back in high school, Isis Harris never imagined herself working as an electrician everyone around her was just so focused on college.

“College was the thing, the big thing, in high school,” remembers Harris, 44. “The friends that I had there were going to college … that’s what the big excitement was around.”

After meandering for more than a decade taking some college classes and holding lots of different jobs Harris signed up for a course designed to let her sample different jobs in the construction industry. One of the activities involved wiring a lightbulb.

“Wiring that circuit, I did it correctly and the light came on and I was like, ‘This is it!’ The light came on for me. That was the trade for me.”

Now she’s just a few months away from becoming a licensed journeyman electrician in Portland, Ore. She spends her days working on a new construction site, where her most recent task was running low voltage wire underneath a new floor to connect a thermostat. Her hourly wage adds up to about $80,000 for full-time work per year.

Top Alternatives To College For 2021

There are a lot of different entry points into the world of work and ways of gaining the skills required to get to where you want to be. If youre not so sure about that last part, thats okay too. Some options will help you decide what you want to do as you go along. Others even give you the option to pay only once youve landed a job.

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Other Great Things To Do Instead Of College

1. Start a Blog

Well of course Im biased about this one. Youre reading my blog!

And yes, you can make great money out of blogging. There are plenty of bloggers making $5000 to $20000 a month off their blogs.

Plus, you can also live anywhere you want! All you need is an internet connection.

But below are some really great reasons to start a blog.

Firstly, you need to know the sorts of traits for people who succeed in blogging.

Bloggers need to be:

• You wont see success for the first 6 12 months.
• Youll need to force yourself to produce quality content regularly.

Okay, now lets look at the steps youll need to take.

Youll need to choose a niche.

A niche is an area that you think you should blog about. For example, I blog about college. Why? Because I know a lot about it.

So, find something you know a lot about and that will keep you interested for your first 100 or so blog posts.

Heres what you need to do:

Wow, I just summed up a lot of information in six steps. And that was way too simplistic.

2. Reignite old Hobbies

Old hobbies might be:

• Writing
• Drawing or painting

How Much Does University Cost

The rising cost of a university education is in the news all the time, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that you simply can’t afford to go to university I mean, who has £9,250 a year to spare?

However, university is a lot more affordable than you probably think. Here is a breakdown of the costs and how they’ll be covered:

• Tuition fees These cost up to £9,250 a year, and the majority of unis will charge full whack. However, a Tuition Fee Loan from the government will cover the whole thing, and you’ll pay it back at a later date.
• Living costs You’ll receive a Maintenance Loan from the government to cover your living expenses. How much you receive depends on how much your parents earn if their combined income is over £25,000 a year, they’ll be expected to contribute. However, our recent survey has found the Maintenance Loan doesn’t stretch far enough leaving a £340 monthly shortfall on average.
• Total costs Add all this together and it’s not uncommon to graduate from university with debts of over £50,000. While this sounds terrifying, the repayment terms are easy and manageable. If you have a Plan 2 loan and earn under £27,295 a year, you won’t pay back anything at all. Plus, after 30 years the debt is usually wiped, even if you haven’t paid any of it back. Our guide to repaying your Student Loan goes into this in much more depth.

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Are There Any Other Resources That Can Help Me

Once you have identified which type of school you want to attend, you may have other items to consider, such as how you are going to pay for school. You may find it helpful to read additional articles in order to find out the best way to save for college and discover how to make money in college. You may also want to explore the possibilities for federal student aid and other financial aid options. And you might even need help figuring out exactly what career you want. By considering all of these factors, you can more clearly identify the training and career path that is going to be best for you.