Was College Worth It?

Here's a fun fact- I've attended college for 5 (non consecutive) years and have nothing to show for it. Not even an associate's degree. I've gone to both University and Community College. How did I master this wondrous feat? By changing majors every year.

I initially went to University as a Music Education major, all because my high school choir director made a comment to my mom about how well I led our ensemble my senior year. I quickly learned I did not have the passion to continue 5 years of that (yes, Music Ed is a 5 year program).

Over the course of the next 10 years I struggled with discovering who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. I'd re-enroll in classes only to find what I thought I loved was not actually for me. At the same time I was working, supporting myself, keeping a home, starting a family.

I have only recently realized I don't actually need that expensive piece of paper I had been convinced I 'needed'. Thankfully I never took out any loans and paid cash for all my classes and supplies. I can't imagine paying back student loans for the greater part of my adult life.

What I DID need was time for self reflection. Time out in the world exploring all it has to offer. Time to discover my passions in life. Time to realize what makes me happy and content. Time to get to know myself.

Too many children are over scheduled nowadays. School, sports, dance, music, tutors, church, whatever. Parents are told their kids NEED these things or they'll fall behind. They don't. What kids need is some down time, some time alone, some time to figure themselves out. If I had that kind of time as a child maybe I wouldn't have spent so much time figuring it out while I was an adult