Debunking the Need For College

Oh yes I did go there. I lost about three fourths of you with that title. Others of you that are still reading are likely just morbidly curious. Yea for the ghoul readers! 
I was part of a fascinating conversation yesterday and it got me thinking. Actually most days I hear the  topic of college come up at least once. Here's how it usually goes, " Well you know we can't have more kids because after all there's college to pay for". Interesting reason for birth control, but I'm not going to start judging just yet. Or maybe this, " oh my child WILL go to college. That is NOT an option". To which I want to say " stand down tiger." How many people on this planet love being told by anyone they will do something?? Which brings me to my first point.
Why do kids HAVE to go to college? Is it to get a good job, with great pay and benefits? Is it to have the prestige of "making" something of themselves? Is it to make the parents feel like they've done a good job raising the kid? Oh no she didn't just say that. 
As I have been on my journey of home schooling for three years I have learned that each of my kids are vastly different in how they learn and what their interests are. Shocking yes I know. But as I hear other parents demand children go to college it makes me think how unfair. Not every child is a born learner. Many people are better with their hands, not books. Many people like to create rather than read about how to create. When we were at family camp this summer I met a college kid who I'm thinking was forced into going to college. Here's how I know; I asked him what he was studying and he said " forestry management". What the what. Oh and he has a minor in business. I about died laughing because here's what I think happened in that family. " Hey son you're going to college". "No I'm not, I want to be a park ranger." "Oh no, you WILL get a degree". "Ok fine, I'll go to college and become a park ranger!". BAHAHAHA!!  Those parents are spending crazy money so their son could be come Mr. Park Ranger. 
Which brings me to another point. Making a lot of money because you went to college. Um, this may come as a huge shock to you all but I did not go to college and when I worked in a salon I made a ridiculous amount of money for cutting hair. And then when I taught people to color hair, I made an even more ridiculous amount of money. I never went into cutting hair to make a lot of money. I did it because I knew my parents couldn't afford to put me through college so I thought I'd do it myself. By God's grace I "fell" into my passion and it has been the best thing ever! My whole family was outraged because I was wasting my artistic talent by being a lowly hairdresser. Being a woman who tries not to use bad language I won't tell you what I thought of them, but basically I want to sing along with Toby Keith, How You Like Me Now?? Indecently, he never wen tto college.  Particularly since now I get to stay home with my little people AND home school AND get to make some money on the side. How cool is my life?? 
So as I listen to other parents worry and fret about college and push getting scholarships or saving crazy money for their little prodigies to go, I wonder has anyone ever asked their child if they even want to go? Has anyone ever ask their child what makes them tick? Or what their passion is? I've watched 18 year old kids, boys in particular wander aimlessly through college miserable because they'd rather be somewhere, anywhere else but there. 
Zion has wanted to go into the military for ever. I couldn't be more proud of my kids if they even consider serving our nation. Recently he has decided he'd like to drive a fork lift for Briggs Equipment as a result of a recent tour of their facility. I would be just as proud. Eden wants to own a shop, and live in a hole in the ground. The last one makes me scratch my head a little but still would be just as proud and definitely look for opportunities to brag on my babies at dinner parties. Instead of forcing the idea of college on them, I want to encourage them to seek the Lord and see what His will and plan for their lives would be. Seeking Jesus for every decision is what I would be most proud of. 
My last point. Raise your hand if you are still paying on student loans. Your student loans. Raise your hand if you paid for them WELL past the amount of years you were in college. Four year universities are such a rip off. Oh dear I think now I've stepped on some tender toes. :-) Oh well, it's my blog. Paying for that much of college when the kid is not clear yet of what they want to do is crazy. Community college is a beautiful thing. How many of us have picked our doctors because they went to a 4 year university? I couldn't even tell you what college Zion's oncologists went to. All I know if everyone says they are the best in their field. No one has ever mentioned whether they started in cc or not. The point is no one cares. Only their parents cared I'm sure. 
So there it is. I'm not a fan of college. I'm a fan of encouraging my child in the gifts and talents God has given them. Once they figure that out, then praying with them to see what path God has for them to take.
Here's a list of people who never went to college. I'm sure they don't regret their choice. :-) 
Mary Kay Ash
Halle Berry 
Micheal Dell ( computer geek) 
Henry Ford ( yea for cars!) 
Bill Gates ( named richest person by Forbes 27 times, probably because he's not still paying on loans) 
Andrew Jackson
Rachel Ray ( I know I have a few of her cookbooks)
J.D. Rockefeller ( high school drop out) 
Steven Spielberg 
Mark Zuckerberg ( all of us on Facebook are grateful!) (and one of America's top 400 richest people)
Walt Disney (YEA!!! for Disney) 
Charles Dickens
Tommy Lasorda
Steve Wozniak ( the other Apple guy) 
Lucille Ball ( high school dropout) 
David Byrne ( currently listening to his music as I write) 
Sean Combs ( ok well, maybe he's not a good example) 
Simon Cowell 
Snoop Dogg ( ok, maybe I should stop with the rappers) 
Micheal J Fox ( high school drop out)
Ralph Lauren 
Wolfgang Puck ( let's hear it for yummy's!!)
JK Rowling ( I believe she was about homeless before the books got published)
Gwen Stefani ( Quoted as saying" school was just really hard for me. I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to be smart! But I was really dreaming. … It makes me sad when I think about it. I still have nightmares about tests.”) 
Thank you Gwen you've just summed up most of my point. Think I need to listen to a little "Happy Now"