Struggling your way through finances, pulling all-nighters to study for finals that result in mental exhaustion, and paying a large amount of money to get a degree for a job that doesn’t even require one. Or even worse, having a degree and not being able to obtain a job. Time and money doesn’t grow on trees, so why waste it on college?

   A common myth is the idea that everyone needs to attend college in order to get a job and have a successful future. However, this is a fallacy due to the fact that most jobs don’t require a degree. According to website that provides statistics about education, “…43 percent of US college and university graduates’ first jobs did not require a bachelor’s degree” (learningenglish.voanews). That leaves a multitude of young adults “underemployed,” serving you mediocre coffee while their degrees are collecting dust.

   The pressure college kids are put under, whether it’s from the stressful educational environment or the demanding expectations to be the best, is causing a mental health epidemic. “Rates of anxiety and depression have similarly skyrocketed in the last few decades,” reported Psychology Today. Studies have also shown that the second most common cause of death amongst college students is suicide (psychologytoday.com). College is much more than education now — students have to balance rigorous work, jobs (if they can find one), and their mental health. Now it’s not so easy to go to college to “figure things out,” because you might get more than you bargained for.

   A prime example of being independently successful without a college degree is Junior Mia Hammett’s parents. “My dad owns a business, and with that, he is able to provide for my family,” stated Hammett. She has also ventured into entrepreneurship like her father and found that it has proven to be profitable. “I sell t-shirts online, and I can see the potential of continuing to sell merchandise online and eventually making a living off of it without getting a college degree.” Many very lucrative careers require zero years of college.

   Some might say that college is essential for making a living because advanced jobs in technology are opening up due to its progressive nature. Sure, the world will never stop needing engineers or coders, but not everybody is cut out to be one. Just because there’s more availability in a certain sector doesn’t mean it has to constantly be filled up with people who truly have no business being engineering masterminds.

   Instead of ignoring your true calling for the sake of going to college, focus your energy on things you’re actually interested in. As cliche as it is, you really do have only one life to live, so why waste it on attending college when you know that you could be just as productive when you’re pursuing your own personal goals? The work ethic and ambition would be the same, if not more, when people are doing what they love compared to acquiring degrees to get jobs they hate, or no job at all.