Have you ever wondered what role college plays in our life? In high school, it seemed like the next logical step in my professional journey.
I have a Bachelor’s in Technology in Electronics and Communication. In the middle of the course, I realized my passion lay somewhere else. I have often remarked to my peers that first, you go to an engineering college and then you figure out what you want to do with your life. Even though I was doing well academically, I knew this wasn’t the right direction for my career.
As kids, we have strange notions of our passion for life. We are super-optimistic and ready to conquer the world with no thought of failure in our heads. It is that time in our life when we don’t realize there’s a possibility that we might suck eggs. We may not be good enough to pursue our passion professionally. That’s where going to college can offer you tremendous value.
Spending four years in college can allow us to figure out our passion and experiment with things. It will enable us to develop the skills we need to excel in our chosen field or find an alternative. College allows us to seek opportunities at the periphery of our desired domain.
College gives you the time to experiment with it and hone your craft. For instance, you might be into playing an instrument. Suppose it so happens that you aren’t good at playing the instrument. In that case, you might have the opportunity to experiment with electronic music production. Similarly, a painter may succeed more with graphic design if they aren’t good with the brush.
Many major sports leagues have a mandate for which rookie athletes must attend college for a minimum stipulated period. Some more prominent examples that come to mind are the MLB, the NFL and the NBA. The rationale is simple and reasonable: High school athletes need time to grow and mature before going toe to toe with the best in the business. Furthermore, competing at the collegiate level is an excellent way to understand the game better.
There is an ever-growing debate around the necessity of going to college since it has been a part of our culture for a long time. While I will concede that college isn’t the only way to figure out a path to a successful career, it certainly doesn’t guarantee success in life. It does give us the much-needed breathing room to gauge our strengths and shortcomings. People with entrepreneurial ambitions can use this opportunity to dabble in new things and take bold risks.
If you happen to be one of the people who want to drop out of college or not willing to go to college in the first place, I have tried to give you an insight into both sides of the spectrum. You may be super-confident in your success. If you are extremely sure that your path doesn’t have a college in the way, more power to you. However, be honest with yourself if you need time to figure out your dream and are not blindly rushing into something.