The Myth of College Being Necessary

"You need to go to college, get a good job and have a family of your own." Have you ever felt like this was the outline of your life? Something that defined you even before you knew what a "major" was? Have you ever felt like you need a college degree to be successful? Well I'm here to say stop stressing, because that is not always the case. If getting a degree is your dream, that's great, but people need to know that is not the only option out there. The loans and debt that one has after finishing college can be overwhelming and you are not even guaranteed a job afterwards. And I'm not saying college isn't useful. College can be a fantastic experience,  but I'm just saying that doesn't have to be your only choice. I'm here to help you in making that decision.
The applying process for colleges is very stressful. Having interviews, writing essays, visiting schools can all be a lot for you to handle, and it builds up. All while juggling junior and senior years of high school. And many have done it before, handled the applying process with high school, but just because it's what most people do, that doesn't mean you have to. Now, it's a lot harder to get into colleges than it was 30 years ago. This may also affect your final decision.
About 20-30 years ago, going to college and getting a major generally guaranteed you a job. But present day that is not always the case. The requirements for jobs has been raised and over time, the amount of college graduates that are unemployed has dramatically increased, while students graduating with a high school degree have started to become more employed now than ever before. This makes it slightly easier to get jobs with just a high school degree. Some jobs that one can have without a college degree are; an administrative assistance, appliance repairer, bookkeeper, carpenter and more.
Another problem for many people is financial debt. If you are already in a large amount of debt, college may be something that you really need to think about. "69% of 2013 senior [college] graduates left school with an average student loan debt of $28,400, but debt ranged from  $18,656 to over $30,000." As you can see, colleges cost a lot of money and a lot of walk needs to be put I. To pay off all of the debt. There is always financial aid but sometimes that still is not enough. After college, you need to be able to pay off your debt so you need to consider if you will be able to do that once your four years are up. If you will not be able to, this can add a lot of stress into your life as a young adult.
         Although college is great, the process of applying can be stressful, you are not even guaranteed a job after you receive your degree, and you can graduate having to face the pressure of student loans and debt hit you afterward. Sometimes you need to think to yourself, is it really worth it?

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/11/13/average-student-loan-debt-hits-30-000
http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/20-great-jobs-without-college-degree