Why Traditional Education Might Not Be Right for You: 10 Eye-Opening Reasons

People often attend school with the mindset that it's something they’re required to do. Ever since we first learned how to read numbers and letters, it’s been the social norm to pursue a degree, get a job, get married, have kids, and so on. But what does it all mean in the end? We celebrate graduations because they mark an important milestone. But what does it mean to be successful? And more importantly, does your mental health agree with that image of success?

In truth, school isn’t built on the foundation of promise. For some people who are more scholarly inclined, school is where they thrive and belong. But what about those who feel reluctant to follow the same path?

1. You're a night owl. Teenagers who start school before 8:30 am have a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. Early school start times seem to put more pressure on the sleep process and increase mental health symptoms, while later school start times appear to be a strong protective factor. While early start times supposedly help students develop time management skills and resilience to challenges, exam schedules take a large toll on students' health. Because these issues haven’t been resolved, suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of college student deaths since the 1950s. And as school enrollment increased, so did the number of suicides.

2. The education system can't keep up with the job market. Today, there are jobs that weren’t available in our parents’ generation. Now, technology, creativity, and entertainment drive the economy. Thanks to social media, there's a higher demand for online marketers, writers, graphic designers, and computer programmers. But the education system is failing to catch up with these changes. While the skills being taught right now are basic and essential, they aren’t enough for jobs that demand newer skills.

3. College is hard to afford. It’s challenging to earn a college degree with a middle-class wage. But it's often advertised that you'll need a college degree to earn at least a middle-class wage. People from the lower class want to go to school for a better life but are often unable to afford it. In addition to paying for college, many people end up in debt from student loans.

4. You have a big idea, and your school might not be able to foster it. Here’s a fun fact: 14 of the world’s most successful billionaires didn’t earn a college degree. They were passionate about entrepreneurship and decided school couldn’t turn their vision into a reality. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, dropped out during his sophomore year at Harvard and founded Facebook in 2004. Hiroshi Yamauchi, the third president of Nintendo, dropped out of Waseda University to take over the family business. Although these people are known for their achievements, there's no doubt they faced tremendous struggles and many failures before making headlines. You can have a plan that doesn’t involve school and still be successful.

5. Your dream doesn’t require a degree. 63% of the degrees awarded between now and 2020 won't require a college degree. Some of these include construction supervisors, electricians, and insurance sales agents. In addition, for individuals who are hands-on learners and excel at using sensory information, these jobs are a great fit. They don't involve exploring the abstract ideas or theories school often reinforces.

6. College doesn’t prepare you for the real world. Starting at a young age, we’ve been taught that we must excel and look good on paper to succeed. But all that does is reinforce perfectionistic tendencies, which is detrimental to one’s well-being. We’re given the illusion that gold stars and straight As ensure we’re doing everything right, and anything less is a failure. Reality doesn’t work that way. Someone won’t always be there to recognize and acknowledge your hard work. Failure is a large aspect of life. This is why when college graduates can’t land their dream job right away, it hits them like a ton of bricks.

7. The job market looks bleak. School is supposed to help students develop important skills, such as problem-solving and time management, that will help them take on responsibilities more readily. But these skills don’t mean anything until they're applied in the real world. This is also why companies are often reluctant to hire recent graduates. And since jobs are scarce now, there's more competition between recent graduates and those who've already been in the industry longer.

8. Your degree might become obsolete. The career you wish to pursue in the future may no longer exist by the time you graduate. Media and technology have taken over and replaced old jobs with new ones. So it's important to consider that the career options you desire may be dwindling.

9. The "safe" route isn’t all that safe. Even jobs that are in demand don’t guarantee a safety net. Medical and academic professionals face more challenges thanks to today’s economy. Doctors and nurses are getting paid less because of government regulations on the health care system. Many teachers are getting laid off due to budget shortages. Everyone's scrambling for stability, which has become a privilege. This is especially true for Millennials, who make up the most underpaid and unemployed generation, which is why so many move back in with their parents.

10. You are self-made. By not choosing school, you get to decide how to acquire the skills you want. Going to school and choosing one major may limit what you learn. On the other hand, not going to school can open different doors for you because you can explore different options: You can volunteer, work, attend workshops, or participate in online programs to build the skills you need. And the best part is, you can work and learn at your own pace.

So, do you think school is for you? If you chose not to go to school, what did you find beneficial or hard to deal with? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.