As I near the final few months of high school, I watch as my friends get excited about going off to college. I, however, have to live with the shame of not going right away. In fact, I am unsure if I will ever go. Often, society deems those who do not go to college as inferior or incapable. The constant pressure geared toward young adults to feel like they have to attend college is not only unreasonable, but classist, and I’ll explain why.

Growing up in a lower income home, I had to watch my mom struggle to attend college. The financial hardships and mental stresses of school play a huge role in the downfall of people trying to pursue a higher education. College is thousands of dollars, and that usually doesn’t include costs like travel, food, living, supplies, etc. The cost of textbooks alone can add up to over $1,000. A lot of people end up burying themselves in student debt for the rest of their lives. Even if they achieve the career they want, some are not able to afford paying it all off. Plus, not everyone who goes into college is the same person four years later. Someone may want to change their path in life, but simply cannot afford to do so. Not to mention, it is such a high stress environment for those who struggle with mental health.

With those reasons aside, college just isn’t worth it for some people. A lot of people are fine with going straight to work after high school, or starting their own family. Personally, I don’t want to go right now because I know that I have not been prepared enough. I feel as if high school did not teach me the things I needed to know about attending college, and a lot of the things I have learned came from the internet or family. I understand that adults want children to succeed, but there’s a fine line between encouraging students and borderline shaming them.