Today I took my sister to her entrance exam centre. This is my second sibling attempting to get into college. Her older brother just gained admission this year. So it feels to me with a lot of pride to see them move up in life, against all odds and I am glad I played a critical role by providing financial and emotional support.
The entire experience today with my sister was nostalgic considering I was in a similar position 11 years ago (how time flies), chasing a corporate dream or what was deemed what the natural progression of life– high school - College - Job. I spent 4 active years trying to get into college.
The funny part was that I was applying for a basic course–psychology. I loved psychology. I spent hours reading books on psychology because I have long been fascinated by human behaviour. So I did not understand why I wasn't meeting the required score.
Finally, I decided to try something different. I applied to study Accounting at the University of Benin. This was a huge step because I was a science student in High School. I did not get the course of my choice (thankfully). I was offered insurance which I took graciously, although I know little about the field, at that point, I just wanted to leave the house and move my life in some direction. I was already in my early twenties and most friends were already past that 3rd year in college. However, college wasn't the life-defining pursuit I thought it would be initially.
College was more about struggle than education for me. I did not have what most people would classify as the college experience–partying, meeting new people, going to new places, etc I didn't attend most of my lectures. There was a year when I resumed 2 weeks of the semester's exams. In retrospect, I did amazing keeping my GPA at around 3.3/5.0. Ironically it dropped the year I was in school fully. That was the year studied the most. It has become a theme in my life that I get the worst results whenever I try the most. It seems the universe is nudging me to have some sort of apathy to life and to be frank, these are the times I experience peace and decent results.
Back to my college story. I discovered Hive in my third year in college at the peak of my struggles. I could not say no to an opportunity to earn. Plus I enjoyed writing and wanted to be a writer. I took the initiative and the rest of college life was better for it.
It's almost four years after college. I am yet to pursue a white-collar job. My certificate is resting pretty in my file and chances are I will never use it for anything. I am still on Hive and trying to things out outside the corporate world to secure my financial future. So it begs the question: Was my time in college a total waste of time?
I won't categorise my entire college experience as a waste. Yes, I could have used my time for better things but chances are I might have not achieved those said things without the routine and structure a college provides. Also, I met the love of my life in college and other colleagues who have played their part in my personal development. So no, it was entirely a waste of time.
So if you are young and unsure about what to do with your life then maybe college is what you need. You can get a degree while figuring life out. However, if you have a skill or business that you run effectively without needing a degree then forgoing that for one is silly. Also, the world is a lot different than it was a decade ago. You can learn a valuable skill on YouTube that can earn you thousands of dollars annually without seeing the four walls of a classroom.
Would you go to college again if you had the opportunity?
Well, I do plan on going for my master’s degree sometime next year, so yes. This time it will be on better terms than before (I hope).