Is more than four years of college worth it when you’re not counting graduate school? I’m still deciding!
I’ve been at Youngstown State University since Spring of 2018. I am currently in my sixth year here at YSU, and every day I question if I should stay or not. My graduation date was never in the year of 2021 like my high school peers; it was December 2022, then it got pushed to December 2023… and now the plan is to walk in Spring 2024 with me taking one or two classes that summer.
College is not for everyone, and luckily throughout the years – others have realized this and were able to find their correct path. Personally, college was the right path for me… at the time.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the college itself or the work I have to put in to get the degree I’m working towards – and my goodness, the opportunities I’ve been given due to my commitment to my college career are rewarding! But this wasn’t the plan.
I’ve wanted to be a book author since I was eleven years old, and I’m now about to turn twenty-four with no finished manuscript. I have to constantly remind myself that everyone goes through life at different paces, and I seriously don’t mind being in college longer than those who I graduated high school with – but my personal plan was tossed out the window the moment I found out I would be here much longer than I planned. I almost feel disappointed in myself, but some things were either out of my control, or I was going through something that was vital for me to take the time to work through it for my own personal health.
Not everyone goes through college in four years, some even do it in less! But if you are working hard for what you truly want, if you know the diploma you will receive at the end of this road is everything you dreamed of in that moment – then yes, more than four years is worth it. If you have doubts like I have, you have to ask yourself if your major is right for you. Is college the correct option at all? Maybe getting an entry-level job and working your way up the ladder better suits your needs; it’s also a plus that you can go to college later in life if it’s not in the cards for you right now.
I am grateful every day that I have the opportunity to attend this university, and for everything it has given me. I want to stick it out – I want that degree! But if you feel as though there is a better option, take it! You only live once, and you should live it happily.