If it’s true that high school is hard, then graduating from high school may be daunting. After all, you now have a certificate stating that you have successfully completed 12 years of primary and secondary education. But now what? For the first time in your life, you are an adult and may well be paying all of your own bills. You may have wondered if you should follow the route of most high school grads and head for college, or if you should go to a trade school instead. If you are in this predicament, you may want to read this article because it has some information that may point you in a particular direction.
You May Want to Go to College if…
If you decide to go to a college campus this fall, don’t sweat it. You will be part of millions of graduating seniors who choose this route. This may be a wise move if you want a cushy, white-collar job after earning a college degree. But be mindful that AI is now encroaching on many repetitive tasks that used to inform entry-level roles, so a college degree in itself may no longer open doors to promising career paths.
Resume Templates recently did a survey, and according to a May 20 report, only 75% of employers stated that they would require a college degree for positions. So, having a college degree will clearly give you a competitive advantage and help you stand out in your field, especially if you get high grades and have lots of relevant internship and work experience in your field of study.
College is designed to help young people learn how to learn by having them work on projects, assignments, and various tasks that strengthen their researching skills, educational foundations, and their ability to think critically. Colleges teach them to think logically as well–these are all traits that employers value.
What is the Point of College?
You may have asked yourself what the whole point of college was, especially if you were forced to take college-prep or college-level courses that you had no acumen or interest in as a high schooler. Many students in the K-12 system ask their teachers the notorious and famous question in many classes, “When are we ever gonna have to use this stuff?”
The answer to that question is multi faceted and complex. I have studied the Pythagorean Theorem and have taken advanced Trigonometry classes in high school. I currently have an MBA, and can attest that I don’t directly use over 90% of the theory I learned in primary, secondary, post-secondary, or even graduate school. However, I studied hard and gained the foundation needed to ace writing assignments.
That has especially been the case when I had to write on technical (read engineering) assignments. Oftentimes, I could barely understand the materials I read in the reference articles online. However, I could write outstanding, optimized articles that the client accepted and published because I had taken general science classes in junior high school and still recognized many key terms that made it easier for me to understand and explain the information in the reference links in my own words!
College learning tends to revolve around instruction, especially at research-based institutions. Additionally, the textbooks and learning centers around principles and theory.
What is the Point of a Trade School?
Trade schools offer in-depth and specialized education, knowlege, and training aross many programs that are designed to get students ready for a particular trade like electrician or plumbing. Trade schools have much more of a practical and hands-on element than colleges do. In a way, trade schools prep students for the pratical workforce, while colleges get students ready for the broader world.
Students can earn a certificate, diploma, or even an associate’s degree. Just keep in mind that you may have to pass a licensing exam before you can look for an apprenticeship if you decide to go the trade school route.
Which Route is Best For You?
Well, the route you should pick depends on many factors. You may want to consider going to a trade school if you don’t learn well by reading a book, but instead learn through hands-on work and practical instruction. Colleges are very academic, after all, they are training you for white-collar jobs, which are very theoretical in nature. Trade schools train people for blue-collar jobs, which involve more practical knowledge and physical labor.
Trade schools offer programs in practical occupations, like (note that this is not an extensive list):
- Automotive
- Animal Care
- Aviation
- Business
- Technology
- Construction
- Beauty
- Criminal Justice and Law
- Culinary
- Diving
- Arts and Design
- Healthcare
- Nursing
- Language
- Marine Mechanic
- Real Estate
- Social Services
- Skilled Trades
- Travel
- Trucking and Transportation
- Veterinary Services
- Wellness
Each program has several sub-programs with significant career advancement opportunities that students can explore.
Colleges and universities offer many degree programs as well. Here is an extensive, but definitely not a comprehensive, list:
- Arts
- Business
- Education
- Allied health professions
- Humanities
- Protective services
- Science, technology, and math (STEM)
- Trades and Personal Services
Note that many of the disciplines have sub-areas which students can obtain valid degrees. For example, the arts discipline has the following sub-areas: art, art management, design, film and photography, music, and the performing arts.
College and university education tends to have a broader and more general focus. That scope even characterizes the more specific and niche courses students take during their junior and senior years. Most colleges and universities have many character-building activities and programs that students can participate in to develop their personalities and characters. Trade schools tend to not offer these because their main focus is on getting students ready for the work force.
While some colleges and universities offer accelerated programs and degrees, most stretch on for at least 4 years. Most trade school programs last for less than two years. Some students can finish some programs in a few months. So, you may want to go the trade school route if you don’t like the discipline and structure of traditional theory-based school.
Trade schools have much cheaper tuitions than most colleges, and especially universities. Students tend to live off campus in college and university. That drives up the total cost of a college or university education substantially, even if they attend a junior college initially. Most students live at home when they attend a trade school. So, trade schools tend to be much more affordable.
Cash-strapped students can breathe a sigh of relief that they will graduate with little to no debt if they choose the trade school route. There is a little-talked-about benefit to going the college route after high school. College and university students may need to have internships (sometimes quite a few) before employers will consider hiring them, but they can adapt better to changes in their profession, and they are better places to change careers, if needed, because of the generalized and analytical nature of their training.
That may be a big bonus in the AI-era where AI tools are advancing at breakneck speed and are increasingly able to perform more complex tasks.
You Should Do Some Real Soul Searching
It’s time to explore yourself in terms of your strengths and weaknesses, and your passions and interests if you have just graduated from high school. Decide what you can see yourself realistically doing as an occupation for the next six decades (perhaps more), before you decide whether you should go to college or a trade school this fall.
