Should You Even Go to College?
There are three main questions which I have found help dictate one's answer to this problem. If you don't have at least one of these three factors, you may wish to reconsider college. If you find yourself agreeing with these, though, you may want to consider going to college more strongly.
1. Desire: Do you want to go to college?
This is the biggest factor, and the one that should be given the greatest consideration.
2. Money: Do you have enough money to go to college?
If you have good scholarships, it may be a good idea to go ahead and give college a try even if you're not certain about it. That said, if you're not thrilled with the idea and it will put you in a lot of debt, you may have to reconsider going.
3. Career: Does college contribute towards your chosen profession?
Some professions absolutely require a college degree, like being a surgeon or a lawyer. If your desired profession falls into this category, then you will have to go to college to achieve it; if not, you have considerably more flexibility.
These can lead different people to make different decisions. For example, as a giant self-admitted nerd who loves learning and considering my four-year scholarship, I would have gone to college regardless of whether it would have helped me get a job (which it will).
I will add that people (eg, my sister and classmates) do seem to find college to be far superior to high school in the realm of social skills and personal interests. That's because once you get to college you finally get the chance to specialize in the field that you love, whether it be Japanese or Biology, something that is hard to do in a high school. In addition, students on a college campus tend to be far more open and accepting of differences (again, based off of the experiences of my sister and myself), which means the likelihood of finding friends increases, and the likelihood of finding bullies decreases.
Ultimately, this is up to you. Not going to college doesn't mean you can't succeed in life - plenty of people go on to good careers without college (although almost always with some form of job training). And going to college is no guarantee of success, either. In the end, this is your choice - I hope these criteria prove useful to you in helping you make it.
1. Desire: Do you want to go to college?
This is the biggest factor, and the one that should be given the greatest consideration.
2. Money: Do you have enough money to go to college?
If you have good scholarships, it may be a good idea to go ahead and give college a try even if you're not certain about it. That said, if you're not thrilled with the idea and it will put you in a lot of debt, you may have to reconsider going.
3. Career: Does college contribute towards your chosen profession?
Some professions absolutely require a college degree, like being a surgeon or a lawyer. If your desired profession falls into this category, then you will have to go to college to achieve it; if not, you have considerably more flexibility.
These can lead different people to make different decisions. For example, as a giant self-admitted nerd who loves learning and considering my four-year scholarship, I would have gone to college regardless of whether it would have helped me get a job (which it will).
I will add that people (eg, my sister and classmates) do seem to find college to be far superior to high school in the realm of social skills and personal interests. That's because once you get to college you finally get the chance to specialize in the field that you love, whether it be Japanese or Biology, something that is hard to do in a high school. In addition, students on a college campus tend to be far more open and accepting of differences (again, based off of the experiences of my sister and myself), which means the likelihood of finding friends increases, and the likelihood of finding bullies decreases.
Ultimately, this is up to you. Not going to college doesn't mean you can't succeed in life - plenty of people go on to good careers without college (although almost always with some form of job training). And going to college is no guarantee of success, either. In the end, this is your choice - I hope these criteria prove useful to you in helping you make it.
Further Resources
I couldn't come up with any outside website articles on the subject from an AS perspective, so instead I'm simply going to link to several different threads on Wrong Planet about people on the spectrum struggling with the same question as you and others' thoughts on the subjects. They all have different situations, but you may find underlying themes or interesting points within the posts and their replies. These are simply regular people like you and me discussing their own thoughts, not authorities on the matter.
Aspies & University: Do they mix?
I want to go to college but.........
I'm Not Going to College.
Keep the job or go to college?
Afraid to go to college...going with people that I HATE.
What is college and university like for Aspies??
Worried about going to college
Aspies & University: Do they mix?
I want to go to college but.........
I'm Not Going to College.
Keep the job or go to college?
Afraid to go to college...going with people that I HATE.
What is college and university like for Aspies??
Worried about going to college
Give Your Input!
Are there any other factors that you're taking into account in your decision whether or not to go to college? Contact Me and share them with other readers!
Are there any other factors that you're taking into account in your decision whether or not to go to college? Contact Me and share them with other readers!