7 Practical Alternatives to College

Postsecondary education isn’t for everyone – many people seek alternatives to college when it comes to training for their future career. And there are lots of great alternatives out there if you know where to look.

In this post, we’ll discuss some of the potential pros and cons of attending, or not attending, a college or university. We’ll then go on to explore seven possible alternatives to college that can help you achieve all your career goals.

Should You Go to College?

Before we get started, we’d like to clarify what we mean by college – because not every country defines these words the same way. We’re using the US definition: an educational institution that offers undergraduate and/or postgraduate certificates, diplomas, or degrees.

There are many potential pros and cons to consider when deciding if you should go to college. For many, the experience of going can be motivational and incredibly rewarding. Other benefits include:

• Potentially higher salary
• Chance to explore different interests
• Getting the required qualification/preparation for a specific career
• Increased networking opportunities in your chosen field
• Experiencing the academic lifestyle
• Traditionally lower unemployment rate

It likely doesn’t come as a surprise, though, that success can be obtained without going to college. And if you do go to one, you are not guaranteed better opportunities or a higher salary. Here are some things to contemplate if you are considering an alternative to college:

• Money saved on tuition
• Plenty of jobs don’t require further education
• Colleges and universities often require good high school grades
• Forgoing college allows for earlier entry into the workforce
• Not everyone enjoys academia

7 Alternatives to College

Now that we’ve looked at the advantages and disadvantages of going to college, let’s explore some of the amazing alternatives that are available if you’ve decided college isn’t for you.

1. Take a Gap Year

A lot of students head directly from high school to college, and some of them end up regretting that decision. Taking a little time to relax and explore yourself, your interests, and the world you live in can be incredibly valuable before deciding on a career.

A gap year (or sabbatical year) is when people decide to take a constructive break from their education or work to examine other interests. This is an interesting option if you want to travel, develop other skills, meet new people, volunteer for a worthwhile cause, or just take some much-needed time off.

2. Enroll in Vocational Training or Trade Schools

While this type of education isn’t free, it is often cheaper than going to college. Vocational training and trade schools offer educational courses or programs that are specifically designed for particular job functions or trades.

Automotive repair, culinary arts, and fashion design are just a few things you can learn through vocational training and trade schools. They are great choices for people who prefer a “hands-on” career.

3. Become an Apprentice

As already mentioned, a lot of jobs don’t require you to go to college. Various trades such as carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, and social work allow you to learn while working in your chosen field.

This is a perfect option if you already have a clear idea of what you would like to do. When you become an apprentice, you will be trained under the guidance of a skilled professional. You may not make a full wage at first, but as your experience grows, so will your pay.

4. Join the Military

Depending on where you live, a career in the military can be very rewarding. This option offers skills training, travel opportunities, and other benefits in exchange for serving your country for a certain duration of time.

If you can thrive in a structured and disciplined environment, you’ll find that engineering, aviation, medicine, and human resources are among the multitude of career paths available through military service.

5. Leverage On-The-Job Training

If you can find an entry-level job at a company that values its employees and offers training, there’s nothing wrong with working hard and progressing through the ranks there.

This is great for people who like the security of working at one place for an extended period. You can build your skills while getting paid. As your experience and aptitude grow, you will qualify for promotions and periodic raises in salary.

6. Learn Online

Just because you don’t want to go to college doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t like school. Fortunately, the internet provides us with plenty of free and paid learning opportunities.

If you want to take your education into your own hands, many online opportunities are self-paced, so you can work on them in your free time. Computer coding, writing, photography, editing, and world languages represent a small fraction of the things you can learn online.

Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Udemy are just some of the excellent online learning platforms available. And, of course, Knowadays!

7. Start Your Own Business or Freelance

Have you ever wanted to be your own boss? If you have a business idea or want to turn a passion into a career, starting your own business could be the right option. While being self-employed and being a freelancer may sound the same, there is a difference.

If you’re hard-working, self-disciplined, and possess good time-management skills, becoming a freelancer can be extremely rewarding. One of the great aspects of running a freelance business is that you don’t have any employees to worry about. Develop your skills, find some clients, do the work, and get paid!

Web design, marketing, writing, and editing are just a few of the highest-paying freelance jobs available at the time of writing. Keep reading to discover an excellent opportunity to get all the training you need.

Becoming a Freelancer

If the freedom and flexibility of taking self-paced online training and starting your own thriving freelance business sound appealing to you, check out our CPD accredited courses, which can help anyone start a rewarding new career in proofreading and editing, content writing, and more.

Don’t worry if you don’t know which one of these options is right for you; take advantage of our free lessons and start learning today!