The Lies They Feed Us

My high school in North Jersey had a graduation rate of 99.9%. There were 270 people in my class and only two of them did not continue on to college. Since birth, it has been jammed into my head, and the head of all those around me, that the only way to be sucessful in life is to go to college. We have been preparing for college since preschool. It has always been a given for my sister and I to go to college, there has never been a doubt in anyones mind about that. It is very shocking for someone to not go to college in my town. This is crap. College is really important, getting a degree and shit really helps getting a job, but it is not necessary to be successful. Going to a vo-tech school in high school, being involved with a career because high school is over, there are many ways to prepare yourself to be independant. I was offered a very well paying job with School of Rock Inc. right outside of high school, which looking back on I should have taken because college is slowing down my career. But, because it would be so 'mortifying' for me not to college, I made the decision to come to Drexel. Also because it is an exuse to have no responsibility for another 4 years. This myth has been formulating for decades, and I fear that it will soon grow and grow and those who can not afford or can not get in to the college they want to will give up on having a successful career.