TIME OUT: SHOULD YOU PUT COLLEGE ON HOLD? by Dodge Johnson, Educational Consultant
from his Philadelphia Inquirer Column "Countdown to College"
It never occurs to most students that there's no magic reason for going to college right after high school.
For many, of course, the timing is exactly right. If you're intellectually curious, there are few better feasts than what a good college provides - or better times in your life to dine.
If you're headed for a profession, you've every reason to start up the long educational road ahead. And if work you'd like to do requires study, it makes sense to get on with it.
Even if you haven't a clue of what you'd really like to make of your life - and most 18-year-olds don't - college is often the most sensible next step. It opens windows in the mind and doors in the working world. It's a way to explore lots of things and prepare for nearly anything.
But college, particularly right after high school, is not for everyone - even in families where that's the tradition. And if any of the following tunes seems hauntingly familiar, ask yourself whether putting college on hold makes sense.
You lack the basics of self-discipline. Colleges are great places to learn time management - and forgiving enough so you can learn a few things the hard way. But they don't provide mothers to make you get up or turn off the T.V.
Obvious? Maybe. but the casualty lists at any college always include students who somehow can't make themselves get out of bed for class or crack a book sometime between the opening of term and final exams.
Failure might have been success if they'd followed high school with something more structured - a job where results are easy to measure, military service, some experience where others relied on them and they in turn learned self-reliance.
The only thing about college that looks good is the social life. If college is only a party trip, it will also be a guilt trip. So do something else, at least for now. The right college experience should be rich in friends and good times, but the magic that makes it all special lies in knowing you're growing.
You hate schoolwork and books truly bore you. Instead of drifting into college, try a job, a trade, an apprenticeship. If it's right, you may discover things you'd really like to study. If it's wrong, you may be convinced a degree is worth the sweat. Either way, if you choose college, you'll do so because you want it and not because others expect it or you're stuck for something to do. And you'll bring practical wisdom to your education that few others will have.
If book learning still hurts, ease the pain with part-time study (some companies help foot the bill), a program that's mostly hands-on, or co-op education that alternates study with employment in your field.
You never got your academic act together. The classic pattern is better SAT scores than grades or cream-puff courses instead of the meat and potatoes colleges want to see. And unless you're culturally disadvantaged and nobody told you the rules, it will kill your chances at choosy colleges.
You can settle for whatever college will take you and hope to transfer as a junior to the sort of place you originally had in mind. And a few make it big, but some well-known colleges rarely take transfers. And even with straight A's at one of the less selective colleges offering first-rate education, you'll be running uphill.
What are other options? Whatever you choose, you'll need to strengthen your academic performance.
Consider a community college. Many top four-year schools skim a bit of the cream, and state universities often dip a bit deeper. But know that many students' objectives will be different from yours, and that dropout rates are often high.
Think about a residential two-year college. A few specialize in building academic foundations and strong study skills - sometimes in a four-year setting. At the best, most students persist, and placement for top grads can be eye-popping.
Consider a prep school. If you enter before the twelfth grade, repeating a year may add to both skills and maturity. If you're a senior, know that some prep schools offer a quality post-graduate year, with similar results.
Think about the military. It's a place to learn self- reliance and discipline while serving your country. The services can arrange for courses while you're in - practically free, and they work hard to see that you can accumulate college credit as you move around. The Navy, for example, sends college teachers on some of its ships so you can learn while at sea. And today's equivalent of the GI bill yields handsome benefits for study afterwards.
How do colleges feel about students who postpone? At most, if you've been accepted and you want to take a year off, all you have to do is ask.
If you're applying to colleges as a high school graduate, expect no problems if you had a good record. You'll be asked why you waited and what you've accomplished since graduation.
If you held off because your record wasn't what it should be, much will depend on why - and on what you've done since. Like everyone else, admissions officers admire people with the grit to reshape their lives.
One last word. Time out of the system should not be time away from reality. And students who step out merely to "find themselves" risk losing themselves along the way.
So if you're college bound but want to put college off, be sure you take charge of the time in between. Make a plan and set objectives. If you're asking your family for financial help, make clear how much - and when they can expect your gravy train to pull into the station.
With a strong plan, you'll have a strong story and a history of growing maturity - not bad reasons for admissions people, employers, or anyone else to want to help you along.
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