Are you a teenager who is looking for alternatives to college? If the answer is “yes” then you are in the right place!
Young adults are constantly under pressure because of school. From the early ages, parents demand from them to be good students. They try to convince them that there are no alternatives to going to college. Yet, is college the only choice you have? Of course not!
We heard the story about a happy life after graduating many times. The diploma you get will probably bring you a good salary. However, no one guarantees that you will truly love your job and that your life will be full of happiness and joy.
Youngers that do not want to go to the college do not need to be desperate. There are many alternatives to college in 2019 that will ensure a happy life.
Teens and their parents need to understand that life after high school doesn’t stop. A high-school kid will have many opportunities to achieve his goals. People who claim that there are no alternatives to college are not right. More precisely, they are completely wrong!
It is understandable that parents worry about the future of their children. But, they also need to know that the world is changing a lot. The mindset of an average teenager has changed a lot in the last 20 years. They want to try new things and entrepreneurship is on the top of that list.
Because of that, we would like to talk about alternatives to college. You need to know which alternatives to going to college will make a young person become free, happy and independent.
Top Alternatives to College in 2019
Before we start talking about the alternatives to college, there is one thing you should know. Not every alternative is good for each youngster. That’s why you need to allow to a child to choose the one that he likes the most.
So, the best possible alternatives to college in 2019 are:
- Risepreneur
- Volunteering
- Self-education
- Freelancing
- Online Courses
- Entrepreneurship
- Finding a mentor
- Finding a regular job
- Traveling
Alternatives to college from the list are not so clear, correct? Well, we will explain each one in details. Your only task is to read them carefully and try to understand why 4-year college is not the only option you have!
- Risepreneur
One of the best alternatives to college in 2019 is definitely – Risepreneur. You are probably wondering what Risepreneur actually is. Well, that is easy to explain and understand.
Risepreneur is a course, a community, and a coaching program that helps teenagers to improve their business and life skills. Every youngster will have the opportunity to get the necessary knowledge online.
Do not worry, the membership fees are low. Parents won’t need to spend a fortune to educate their children in the best possible way.
How it works?
The program Risepreneur curriculum makes this option one of the best alternatives to college. It teaches students the 10 most important steps to entrepreneurship. Each step includes multiple modules. More precisely, this program will teach kids to think and act like successful entrepreneurs.
Besides that, young adults will learn more things about sales, marketing, body, mindset, productivity, human resources, leadership, etc.
Parents will also have the opportunity to include themselves in the education of their children. It is crucial that every young adult has the necessary support from their parents.
This definitely looks like one of the best alternatives to college. We will stop here for now because we will mention the word “Risepreneur” many times in the text below.
- Volunteering
Being a volunteer maybe doesn’t sound like a good alternative to going to college. It is true that it won’t bring you any earnings, but there are many benefits you will be able to get.
First of all, you will improve your work ethic. Teenagers after high-school have the problem with lack of self-discipline. That is one of the habits you will have to improve in order to become successful.
The second benefit is to see how it really looks to have duties and the deadlines. You won’t be able to compare learning in school with the real hard work. These two things are quite the opposite. In most cases, students do not spend more than 3 hours on learning lessons. Keep in mind that successful people sometimes work 10 hours per day. Will you be able to achieve that?
The third option could be the most important for you, and it makes volunteering one of the best alternatives to college. You will meet various types of people. There is a chance that some of them will remain your friends for the rest of your life. More importantly, you will maybe find like-minded people that are your potential business partners.
Remember one thing, everything happens for a reason. Maybe volunteering for 2 or 3 months will change your life completely.
- Self-Education
High-school students do not invest a lot of their effort in self-education. This probably isn’t their fault. People around them convinced them that this is the only way to become an educated person.
But, what if one of the alternatives to going to college can bring you true education? Would you change your way of thinking? We hope you will.
Jim Rohn said an amazing thing about self-education – “Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.” Every successful person in the world will completely agree with this statement. Imagine that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates did not leave college many years ago. We probably would not have many inventions today.
One thing is clear, they knew exactly that self-education is one of the top alternatives to college. That is probably one of the things that have stayed completely the same until today.
Luckily for all of us, the inventions of the greatest minds allow us to learn new things in a lot easier way. There are two things that you need – laptop/computer/cellphone and a good Wi-Fi connection. It is obvious that every teenager has the necessary “tools”.
Google and YouTube are the best possible encyclopedias you will be able to find. Your only task is to be persistent and stubborn!
- Freelancing
One of the most popular alternatives to college in 2019 is definitely freelancing. This way of working has developed a lot in the past 15 years. Kids are looking for freedom and independence more than before.
First of all, freelancing allows you to have flexible working hours. You can work or take a break whenever you want. Yet, this benefit of freelancing can be your biggest advantage and disadvantage at the same time. It depends on your discipline.
That’s why it is important to set your goals in the best possible way. Thanks to Risepreneur, every youngster will be able to learn how to organize his time.
Teenagers have a problem with time management. You can hear quite often that young adults are complaining about not having time to complete their duties. When you look closer, the main problem is that they have a lot of free time. Even when they work on their goals, they do not invest 100% of their strength.
So, why is freelancing one of the best alternatives to college? There are 2 reasons.
Every teenager will be able to improve his skills. You will gain theoretical knowledge in your high-school, but that won’t be enough. In reality, every employee will want to see what exactly you know to do. No one is going to ask you to repeat the definitions you learned in school.
The second reason is money. Still, money mustn’t be your priority at the beginning. The expenses of teenagers are high, but if you are patient enough, those costs won’t represent a problem in the future. Focus your freelancing journey on gaining working experience. Keep in mind that this way of working is a good introduction to entrepreneurship.
- Online Courses
Education is all around us. Every person on this planet should not limit his education only on schools and colleges. Things are changing on a daily basis. The pieces of information you know maybe won’t be correct tomorrow. The skills you have maybe won’t bring you money for month or two.
Because of these reasons, it is important to constantly work on the improvement of yourself.
Online courses are a good choice when we talk about knowledge and skills. Successful people usually want to share their skills with the world. They understand that there are many young people that would want to learn something new and useful.
Check websites such as Udemy or Khan Academy. Some of the basic courses are usually for free. However, you will have to spend some money on “more serious” courses. Do not worry; investing in your skills and knowledge is always a good choice. Don’t hesitate to spend money. These courses are valuable and affordable, and that makes them one of the best alternatives to college.
We already said in the beginning that Risepreneur is a course that helps teenagers to improve their business and life skills. Everyone who strives to become a successful entrepreneur needs to defeat his bad habits. People from Risepreneur are aware of that, and that’s why Risepreneur definitely is one of the top alternatives to going to college.
- Entrepreneurship
This part of the article is the most important one, and we suggest you read it carefully!
There are no better alternatives to college than being an entrepreneur. People usually think that colleges are going to bring them the necessary knowledge to entrepreneurship. But, that is far away from the truth.
Let’s use one of the richest persons in the world as an example. We are talking about Bill Gates. Did you know that he left college? He realized that formal education won’t help him to achieve his goals.
This is good proof that diploma can’t guarantee you anything. It also confirms that young adults should look for alternatives to college.
So, why is entrepreneurship one of the best alternatives to college in 2019?
You probably think the answer is money. That maybe is one of the answers, but it definitely isn’t the main one. The answer is – FREEDOM.
A regular job doesn’t allow you to do many things. For instance, you won’t be able to organize your time very well. Imagine that you do not live near your working place. That means you will have to spend around 9 and a half hours on your job (work + traveling).
The management of time is not the only problem. Majority of employees have the job that they do not like. Spending most of the part of your life on things you do not like leads to demotivation and depression.
Entrepreneurs are independent. They do the job they LOVE, and they make their own decisions. Because of these two things, entrepreneurship really is one of the most exciting alternatives to going to college.
Yet, not every teenager is ready to become a business owner. This is one more reason why parents and their kids should know more about Risepreneur. They will have the opportunity to think like entrepreneurs and live like entrepreneurs. Even if they have the most profitable business idea, that won’t be enough. The lifestyle you have is more important, and people from Risepreneur will show you how to defeat your bad habits and demotivation.
Who says that there are no alternatives to college? People that do not know about Risepreneur!
- Finding a Mentor
We already know that self-education is one of the alternatives to going to college. But, many young adults get stuck. It is logical because the majority of them only learn things their professors tell them to learn.
Finding a mentor is definitely one of the top alternatives to college in 2019. Do you remember the movie “Karate Kid”? Younger generations probably do not know about that movie because it is too old. But, the point of the movie is that kid became better than his mentor.
Mentors were always better alternatives to college, but people were not using them a lot in the past. Things are different now. It is quite easier to reach to your mentor thanks to Internet technology.
Risepreneur, one of the top alternatives to college in 2019, thinks about everything. They ensure that mentors work with students one-on-one via video or e-mail. Those mentors will share their knowledge and experience with them and give them directions. More importantly, they will give them the necessary support.
Besides that, the monthly membership also includes group calls between teens and mentors. They will also help students to solve their problem with lack of confidence.
- Finding a Regular Job
This maybe sounds contradictory, but finding any type of job is also one of the alternatives to college.
Let’s imagine that you finished high-school, and now you do not know what to do with your life. Sitting in your room and thinking about your future will not bring you anything good.
Success results in actions, and working is also some kind of action, right? Maybe not the perfect one, but it also has some advantages. Kids that are first-time employees will learn how it looks to be responsible and how to work with people. That is something you won’t be able to learn in school.
But, if your goal is to stay on the same working place for the rest of life, then this is not one of the alternatives to college you are looking for. This is only a good choice if you have long-term plans.
For example, this is a good option if you want to save some money. Of course, the savings you have you should invest in your knowledge and your business.
As you can see, your way of thinking will determine if finding any kind of job is good for you. Teenagers usually do not have the entrepreneurial spirit, and people from Risepreneur tend to change their mindset. After they go through the lesson, they will start to think like business owners.
- Traveling
Someone would ask why traveling is one of the alternatives to college. People usually think traveling serves only for fun and relaxing. But, you can also use it to make the better version of yourself.
Travelling will help you to meet different people. Some of them are going to be on the same mission as you. So, who knows, maybe some of them are going to be your friends for the rest of your life. More importantly, some of them will maybe be your business partners.
Okay, you are probably asking now – “how to travel when I do not have money?”
We will have to get back for a second to freelancing. Have you ever heard about digital nomads? Those people are constantly traveling and working at the same time. They usually change their location for three months.
When you hear something like this, do you still think college is the only option you have?
However, you do not have to go to the other part of the world to meet like-minded people. Risepreneur has a forum that is only for students. It is actually a “student center” that allows students to meet their friends, talk about business ideas and ask for help.
This way of communication improves self-sufficiency which is one of the core values or Risepreneur. By helping others, you actually help yourself!
Final Thought – Is College for Everyone?
The list you just went through shows the top alternatives to college in 2019. But, it is not just the point to find a good alternative. The more important thing is to understand why college is not the only option you have.
Teens are desperate when they do not go to college. Majority of their friends are students, and they feel useless because they are not. It is even harder when people around them tell them how important colleges are for their future. This can cause quite big problems in the life of a young adult.
Yet, sit in your room after you read this article. Think about one thing – is college really for everyone? More precisely, ask yourself – “Is college for me?” You are the only one who knows the answer to that question.
However, if you think college is not for you, it is not the end of the world! That doesn’t mean you are not so smart or intelligent. It only means that you do not like the way of learning you get there.
Besides that, let’s imagine that 4 years you dedicate to informal education. What do you think, who is going to prepare better for life or business?
Kids in school usually learn in order to become employees with high salaries. Young adults with entrepreneurial spirit learn only things that really matter.
Life after High-School Doesn’t Stop!
Let’s mention some of the people that made huge things
1. Walt Disney
2. Milton Hershey
3. Bill Gates
4. Henry Ford
5. Steve Jobs
6. Richard Branson, etc.
There is something that these people have in common, and we are not talking about the money they make or made. These entrepreneurs made success without a college degree. What if you find your name on that list one day? You are not a psychic, and you can’t predict the future.
Risepreneur admires the work of these people alot, and they hope one of their students will achieve the same goals. It is true that your success depends on your hard work, persistence, and effort. Still, it is always better to have a good mentor that will give you clear directions.
One day, you will maybe become the youngster from the “Karate Kid” movie. More directly, you will become better than your teachers.
Before we end this article, there is one thing we definitely need to repeat. College is not the only option you have and the diploma is not so valuable as you think! Make big dreams and work hard to achieve them.
That is the only right choice. Everything else is irrelevant!