Men are GIVING UP ON COLLEGE... GOOD! 

Aba just has no imagination whatsoever. I knew exactly what I wanted to do as a career at 18.

I think there’s a huge misconception about finding your calling. Life isn’t a Disney movie where you just follow your heart. Your calling will not fall on your lap. You have to go out and try different things to find out what you enjoy or what you’re good at. One of the most important things that a mentor told me after I graduated high school is: “You don’t have to know what you’re meant to do, just don’t stop moving until you find it.”

Best part of the video, “He may not make as much as you, but best believe he'll have less debt than you.” Aba preaching out here.

So I've done university twice now. First time I was 19 and was academically expelled because, like you guys said, I was young and a mess. I had severe social anxiety and depression and zero life skills. My room was consistently disgusting, I could hardly feed myself, I almost never had fresh clothes and I almost never left my dorm room. I was absolutely fucked. Luckily, because I was only in for a year the debt was negligible. However, my parents weren't so understanding. They basically said "heres the last thing we'll do for you as a child" handed me an application for the Navy and gave me a year to move out. 10 years and a 7 year stint in the Navy later I'm now on my second go at Uni. I'm on the deans list with straight A's. My room is small (I live with 3 roomies to keep costs low) but immaculate and well kept. I eat well, exercise routinely and I've been through enough counseling to deal with my social anxiety. Although my social life is pretty non-existent right now due to school and working part time, I know I now have the tools to make connections when the time comes. I have no debt and because of my time in the military I will attain my degree with money to spare. I suppose in all I'm just trying to say for any of the young guys who might be reading this: you can change. You will fail in life and you will fail hard. But these failures don't need to define you and you have the ability to pick yourself up and overcome who you were. Stay strong young bros, I love you guys.

College isn't for everyone and not going isnt for everyone. It depends on what you do for yourself.

My grandfather never graduated from high school. He became a radio operator in the Army during WWII when the previous operator was killed. He took that experience and taught himself radio repair after the war. He later learned television repair also. He built that into a very successful business which he sold in the 1970's to retire in his 50's. He then worked as a consultant to a large electronics company part time for a very large salary. With no formal education he was able to create wealth that is still funding our family to this day. His path cannot be replicated today and that is a problem.

4 types of people: No college and unsuccessful No college and successful College and unsuccessful College and successful As long as you're successful, you're on the right path. Set those goals and work every day towards them.

Those guys that don't go to college aren't just sitting around doing nothing. A lot are going the trade route. They're finally realizing that having an actual skill is more viable. You have plenty of young millionaires that have come into their riches from a skill they possess.

This will mean a lot to a lot of young men who were told they were disappointments from family members for leaving school and are still trying to find the place in life. Thank you so much guys.

I uttered a loud “AMEN!” when you mentioned how the children of immigrants are hyper pressured into matriculating into higher learning, and refusing to do so, welcomes guilt and shame. Speaking from experience: tried appeasing my mom’s suggestions when deep down, I could never deny what I eventually dropped out for and pursued the happiness I always longed for: Music Production

I hate the way people generalize "Getting a college degree". As if majoring in psychology is even remotely comparable to becoming a computer engineer.

Growing up, it’s never, “Do you want to go to college,” it’s always “What college do you want to go to?”

“Men giving up college, women most affected” But seriously, it’s hard to stay in college when the institution itself hates you and discriminates against you.

I was raised by parents who never gave a shit about college, and from that perspective, it was always hard to understand the appeal 🤷‍♀️

"Equip yourself with the skills that people will pay for." -Thomas Sowell Glad I dropped out twice to pursue skill building. Changed the direction of my life for the better $$

College graduate here. Here's my take: -Higher education is a great experience. Met some great people, learned a fair bit about myself and my field. It's something I wish everyone COULD experience. That said... -It needs to be at least affordable and ideally free. The cost is utterly atrocious. It just straight up isn't worth it. Like payin $1000 for a video game that you've only seen trailers of and you have no idea if it'll be good or not. -Only go if you know what you wanna do. I suggest doing a semester or go to a community college to get gen eds out of the way (which is bull, I went to high school for that...), and spend that time doing electives you have some interest in. Then choose your major based on what you loved most. DO NOT start your education beyond gen eds until you know your major. It just isn't affordable to be clueless. -The fact most colleges don't actually have a semester dedicated to finding you a job is a joke. It's what many people go there for lol. More colleges need a system that tries to set you up better. But many colleges just say "Do the schoolwork, and good fuckin luck!" I was clueless how to get the job itself. Worst part of college imo. -Not every field needs college. A healhy amount prefer quality of work or experience. Study the field you want before going in. All in all, college is an incredible experience most people shouldn't have because the cost and risk is far too great. Sucks.

I literally just completed my degree today at 27 years old. lol

As a university professor in the UK unless you are going to university for exceptional courses such as Lawyers, Doctors, STEM. University is a big business and a scam. Thanks for sharing this guys

Also, university isn't the only place where people can get an education. Get an apprenticeship, etc. Not everyone is academically inclined, some people do better with practical skills... doesn't mean they are dumb. Just a different form of intelligence.

I think there is a bigger fish to fry with this, the fact that this modern world pushes college so hard as the only way to make good money is maddening. They don’t push trades too much in a lot public schools anymore, especially when alot of these types of jobs needs experience and such too. We need to give those choices of consideration to our next generation for sure. Nothing wrong with wanting to learn a tradable skill.

My teacher in high school said "If you don't know what you want to do with your life, don't go to college." Probably the best advice I've received.

I lost my hair keeping up with my parents expectations, fast forward a couple years I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

To young folks... Its ok to live in uncertainty! You dont have to make a decision when you havent gotten it figured out. You're not a failure. Go at your own pace. The High School to College pipeline scam should collapse. No way the world should be pressuring 17 & 18 year olds to make a choice that vast majority of them arent ready to make. The way a lot of highschool educators and counsellors are complicit & often get rewarded for encouraging that pressure. Also most parents dont get how much of a scam it is, especially those from immigrant backgrounds. Haram!

Having a degree doesn't make you more intelligent, it makes you more qualified/educated in a certain field, just like manual labor jobs. People who brag about their degree are always the dumbest, these people are chasing prestige, not education.

Going to college for a business degree is insane. Everyone is going for business. Like wtf does that even mean? Could you pick a more vague degree? I plan on my kids knowing fairly well what they want to do as an adult. I had to almost fail HS, join the military, try for an engineering degree, dropped out, deployed, got out the Army, floated for 8 years at BS jobs and now I’m a certified HVAC Tech with a career in the horizon. Now I’m 34 and only found my calling 3 years ago. Never stop moving and never allow yourself to get complacent. Your not old til your old, it’s never too late

I didn't know what I wanted to do straight out of high school and I knew I wasn't smart enough for STEM subjects, so I started an apprenticeship as a carpenter. After a few years I attained my Red Seal with no debt and I'm currently enrolled in community college for management courses. Life is good. Not everyone is cut out for college and not everyone knows what they want to do right away, and that's perfectly fine.

I dropped out of high school and got my GED. Then I joined the army, went to college, grad school, and now I am a math professor at a large university. Everyone has their own path. You probably won't "find yourself" until you are at least in your 30s.

“Kids that were supposed be doctors but had mental breakdowns and just gave up on everything.” Literally me. today is finals and I’m not doing them or probably returning back to school because I’m just done. I give up.

My brother and girlfriend kind of opened my eyes about college. For a while after I graduated, I always wanted to persue college because I wanted to make my parents proud. I knew college debt was an issue with a lot of people and I come from a family of low income and I would be a first generation college student in my entire family. So for a while, I had a lot of pressure on me. There's one side of me that's saying "Finish your school, finish college and get that degree and make your entire family proud!" Then there's the other side of me saying "No, don't do it, you're fresh out of high school with no idea of what you want to do in life or even major in when in college. So don't give yourself unnecessary debt!" My girlfriend got her degree recently, but she's almost $40k in debt and still isn't sure of what she wants to do in life and she regrets going to college and being in debt for a degree she probably won't use. My brother is a senior in high school and one time he told me, "When they showed us all these amazing colleges and all the positives of going to college and getting a degree, I wondered, what about the negatives? I'm hearing only good things, but where are the bad things? Nothing is only ever good. Besides, I don't want to put myself in debt. I'll go when I'm ready and know what I want to do."

As a college student who actually needs college to do what I want to do in life, college is ridiculous. A lot of the professors make it hard for you to even enjoy the path you’re taken. I feel robbed on a daily basis. Like I’m paying to be stressed out and the professors are basically like “Welp get used to it, the real world is stressful.” Also, the fact that I still had to spend 4 years in college dispute coming into college with a little over a semester’s worth of credits. The Gen. Ed they tack on is CRAZY. I feel like the way colleges are ran will change because they won’t be able to get away with this crazy shit if less people are interested in going to college.

This is why my sister and one of my brothers went to the military to become field medics. They did 20 years and came out with military pensions, one is a certified government CRN Nurse(Sister), one is a podiatrist work for a major practice. NO DEBT, and 20 years of medical experience. They travel and WORK in many hospitals and medical facilities around the world. They said the biggest thing their employer always asks them is "Do have some hands-on experience in this field. College is not for everyone

As a black physician, and prior chemist, I disagree with Aba’s stance on higher education. I think that black men are giving away their power by not going to college. Education is going to be more valuable in the future as can be predicted with the crumbling public educational system and increase in sham charter schools. As well as the great divide between the rich and poor. POC are going to be at the bottom of this new economic shift and it will become more evident as more POC drop out of schools. Then more white collared jobs will be the only jobs leading to successful livelihoods. The days of thriving on entertainment is going to end. It’s a Ready Player One type dystopian future.

11:38 “Everytime I tried to go back to school.. it’s funny because something always pulled me out. And I’ve always been able to find more outside than in school.” I’ve felt that way for years. And finally.. now at 28.. I can move on.

Spot on dudes. Easily 80% of my degree was fluff that I could have learned by myself online. Thankfully, it worked out for me by doing multiple internships and keeping my debt low by working all the way through, but it's a waste of time and money for a ton of people. Only go to college if you have a plan for how to make it happen, don't think it'll automatically make life better for you, because it can actually make things a lot worse..

I’m in highschool but this summer I worked at a lumberyard with a guy that dropped out of community college after 1 year. He always hated school, and hated college too, but his parents pressured him into going in the first place. His parents had a sizeable college fund for him, and now he is using it for pilots lessons to get his pilots license, and it seems like he is really interested in it and enjoying it. Good to see someone make a good choice for themselves.

I took a 7 year gap and went back to study neuroscience. I wasn't interested in school straight out of high school and now I'm way more interested than all of my younger classmates. When I went back, I took it very seriously, got into an honor society, and received a full ride. It is absolutely because I went to school when I wanted to and not when people pressured me to. In those seven years, I worked at coffee shops and traveled the country in a punk band ^_^. It's YOUR life, folks! You know what's best for you.

There should be more professional Certifications for “hands on” jobs. I think that could benefit people and the debt wouldn’t be too much?… I feel like a lot degrees/programs are made for office type jobs, and that’s not for everyone.

I respect people who stand by their convictions at an early age. I drank the cool aid and regretted it. Got a whole double major degree and still renting under my parents house in my 40's. My uncle who never reached high school just finished paying for his third house for his son, work as a licenced AC repairman.

Im so glad this video came out when it did. My parents are immigrants, and you absolutely hit the head on the nail of the coffin with what I’ve had to deal with. I accumulated 30k of debt, being forced to pursue something that I didn’t want for myself and I finally decided to just leave school. I even got kicked out of the house for making the decision i made, but I’m so glad I’m not alone in having to experience this or feel this way. I currently have all of my stuff in my car and I’m moving down south with a friend. It’s definitely going to be the hardest life has ever been, but I’m glad it’ll be on my terms.

went to art school...dropped out first 3 months, went to school for audio engineering, dropped out in 6 months, decided that I wanted no more debt, and just found a decent 9 to 5, I still have goals on fulfilling my dreams, just realized that college wasn't going to make that happen for me personally.

Made the decision this year not to continue with uni. Not quite sure where my life is going but we’ll manage💀

I imagine that men are realizing that college isn’t worth it if it isn’t STEM. And from what I hear, a lot of people are just going to trade schools instead.

If you don’t want to be a doctor, a lawyer, engineer, or professor, there is no need for a college degree. Trade classes should return to middle and high school.

I used to be a trucker, and now i'm in college studying medecine. Honestly , the time in school has cost me so much that it is gonna be a while before i get back what i would have made during all these years. Trucker life just was not for me, but it's always surprising to see people in the medical field judging down truckers, when most of then could not even do it has a job. I was fortunate enough do be able to to something I am passionate about but, people should realise that they dumb down essential jobs even tho they are basically the base of the society without them, we could not have medical supply, or that expensive car, or that food etc etc. Respect every single humans giving their heart out there. People are awesome and you are definitly not define by your degree

my husband and i both didn’t go to college- me because i had to start working at 16 and was lucky enough to find a company where i could really grow, and him because he’s an immigrant who still has a hard time speaking and understanding english- and honestly we’re doing pretty good on money. and there are huge opportunities that we’re working towards that are not too far out of our reach- the social norm nowadays is that to be successful you HAVE to go to college but in reality there are many ways to financial stability without having to have a degree - and i’m just talking about living in the US, that definitely might not be true for other countries but this is just my experience

I really think college is basically a scam outside of STEM degrees. Also, as a person who has dropped out of college twice (so far) I would not recommend anyone to go to school for a degree that they’re are only “kinda interested” in.

Going straight to a University after high school is honestly an unrealistic expectation to push upon people that are so young. University is romanticized and I feel other options are never spoken of in a positive light when transitioning from high school (i.e trade school or community college.)

I'm blessed that my parents saved up to help me go to university, but now that I'm almost finished my degree, unsure what I want to do still and hearing stuff like this, I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I didn't go straight to university and instead got some work/life experience first. You're bang on when you say college/university for the longest time was just "the thing to do" out of high school (that was certainly my parents' expectation). Thankfully, that social mindset is finally shifting, and I'm very curious how it will change society a few decades from now.

You guys are such a valuable voice for young men (and people in general). Seriously, thank you.

Unless it's a *STEM* degree, college is pointless. Trade skills have good pay anyway. 🤷‍♂️

Kids definitely shouldn’t be going to college if they don’t have an end goal in mind with a specific career. A lot of kids are told it’s the only way to succeed so just go and get a degree. But there are SOOO many paths to success , especially now. I’m glad people are waking up.

I had a family friend have a mental breakdown from the stress and pressures from college. She was getting delusional. When it got so bad, her parents finally did something about it and put her in a hospital. Unfortunately, she passed away. She was only 20. She kept saying that she dealing with a lot from school, but her parents refused to listen to her.

Bro all these activitists pushing so many "issues", and yet while they are fidgeting about bathrooms and the choice to write something different on a slip of paper, I'm transgender and bisexual, you know what stresses me rn?- I'm busy stressing about the fact that I can't and probably never will be able to afford college, I'm stressing about rising prices and not adequately rising wages, I'm stressing about the fact im 24 and living with my parents because if I want a studio apartment, that's at it's cheapest and arguably almost dangerous 700 of my 1000-1100 35-40+ hour work week checks lol. At most? For a studio? I can't afford it, or it's my entire check. That's not counting all of the other possible expenses, from phone, to internet, to eating, to bathing and taking care of myself. I have no choice but to live with my parents until I can find sustainable roommates, and even then one medical bill and I'm back with my parents. I have a million things wrong stressing me out right now. I don't give a flying fuck about bathrooms, the gender spot on paperwork, I don't give a fuck about a pat on the shoulder telling me "your not straight? Good" that shit don't mean anything and the last one is actually insulting. Can we get some college education? Can we get some enforcement on these greedy ass corporations living off our backs rather than easily providing for their workers? Nah. Nah. I guess I'll take a parade. Fuckers. I wish we'd fix some actual issues instead of putting bandaids on social issues that could be far more easily resolved with a satisfied and happily striving populace than everyone suffering and hating eachother to boot. Bro, I'm about to get me a college education then skip out, fuck.

Giving up on “education” or men are realizing a skill is waaaay better then getting an overpriced college “education” only to be in debt for years to come.

I have a 17 year old son who knew that college wasn’t his jam; he just doesn’t enjoy school that much. Instead, he has decided he wants to go to a trade school to learn blacksmithing. I’m beyond proud of him for avoiding the same trap that I fell into. I spent years and years in college, I have $60K in student debt, and for the past 20 years I’ve worked in a job that doesn’t use my degree at all. Funny, I recall my professors in college telling us how in-demand we were going to be and how we would be able to name our price and pick and choose our jobs - it was all lies. Learn a trade, kids. And avoid student loans!

I didn’t go to college immediately after high school. I didn’t have the desire to go, but I was working at the mall and since I hated the job I had. Decided to just do one semester in the spring. Covid hit that Spring and it reminded me how much I disliked school. I dropped out after that semester and have been working at Amazon Full Time since. I like my job, but I have definitely kept my eyes open for other opportunities to make more money, and even just finding what I want to do with myself. Even though you can say that I’m smart academically. I still hated school with every fiber of my being.

Being younger I wasn't fully aware of the situation at hand with how most degrees and the process of earning and finding work with just a bachelors can easily be a trap. If you are about to graduate highschool, I highly recommend taking a year or two off to work and save up, and then either decide for a trade or start with 2 years of community college. When I started college at 18 I was so indecisive and wasted time and money. Even though I am only 21 I definitely know myself more than when I was 18 and have actual life experience from being on my own for years. If I got to redo college I wouldve had a much more mature and goal oriented mindset and seen college for what it actually is (for higher education for specific jobs) than believing it was a "coming of age and freedom experience"

As a Marine veteran who now goes to an Ivy League school, I can tell you that if I wasn’t getting free college AND getting paid to be here (tax free), I would not have gone to this school. I am also in my last year here. I have friends here who are freaking out about being 250k+ in debt just after four years for an undergrad program. I’m glad that I’m graduating with the same paper but with zero debt. If I had to pay, I’d rather be in a community college for 2 years, get my associate’s degree, and then transfer to a small uni or state school. This is the most cost efficient method IMO.

something important to know is that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. I waited til I was 20 to start, because at 18 I was completely unmotivated and didn't know what I wanted to do, I was burned out from high school and had horrible mental health. I waited until I was ready and made the choice to go to college myself, and now I'm double majoring in math and physics. You can start college at any age: 30, 40, 50, it does not fucking matter whenever you're mentally and economically ready. if you don't want to go to college that's fine too.

Was forced to go to nursing school after highschool by fam standards (they didn’t even graduate highschool themselves🤦🏽‍♂️). Keep in mind I was also working full time as a salesman so whatever I’m making is going to something I don’t want🤦🏽‍♂️ After 2 years I Quit the job and dropped out of nursing school. Studied software dev alone for 6 months and I got over a 6 fig income a couple weeks after that lol life is good. This happened 9 months ago. Covid played a part tho cause lots of people were quitting their jobs so I had more opportunities

I am one of these men. I'm 19 and was able able to move out right after high school with money saved up from working fast food. Left and worked as a solar installer, didn't like it. I found a job as a gutter installer and I love it. By next year I will be making 60k with no debt and I'd like to start my own business in the field in the next 10 years. Sure, it's not a 6 figure job, but I can see myself in a great position in the future if I continue to aggressively save and invest. (And also if I don't fall off a big ass ladder and die) I see value in experiencing my adult life this early, instead of accumulating college debt just to find out I don't like what I'm doing and waste all those years.

College isn't for everyone. The way they set up these institutions cater to a way only certain people learn. As long as you develop a skill you're fine. There are certifications and hands on training that you can go through that will get you a job making more than someone who went to college.

Recently most Airlines removed the bachelor's degree requirement to fly under them, as the market is really competitive [In a good way] right now as many people aren't choosing piloting so it's much more relaxed getting into that line of work for a serious career, I always wanted to fly but that requirement scared me away initially but now that its changed I have no excuse and have started flight training today.

I dropped out after my first year. I finally found what I was good at and what I was trash at. Honestly, school was fucking hell. Teachers wanting me to go all over the damn place for projects knowing I'm in full time and my day doesn't end until 4 in the afternoon and I got a hour drive back home. Shit, I didn't even have time to go out and complete projects cause of having to go places and my schedule just not matching. Plus I worked on the weekends. Spent 200 dollars...what would be 400 dollars today per week just to even go to school. Most of my loan went to paying gas. I pirated my fucking textbooks. English was the worst fucking class I ever took. I quoted some shit from a book and literally stated where it was from, expanded upon, and gave full credit within the writing. I forgot to put it in my citations page. So my English teacher threatened to ban me from going to college ever again for plagiarism. Some fuckin commie shit. After that, I said, fuck this shit. I gave the fuck up and quit. Now I make more in a plant doing manual labor with decent insurance while my buddy who went to college for 4 years makes less. I dont regret shit. I put in hard work and toughed out being fucked over as a noobie and it paid off. I dont ever plan to go back to college when the teachers seem disinterested and only there to make a fuckin buck. It just seems like a waste of money unless you wanna be a doctor or some shit

Graduated in 2019 and took some time off and enlisted as a Marine Reservist so I could go to school and hopefully become a Doctor. I was recently diagnosed with B cell ALL leukemia and it’s been a motivation ever since and I think I really found my calling. As a 1st gen Mexican-American, it’s okay to take some time off post high school and decide what you want to do ! Whatever y’all do I support y’all Kings and Queens ! 💙

I am 21 and now a senior in college in the US. Like many others, I didn’t know what I wanted to do at 18 but basically went in to college because everyone in my family looked at me to do so. However, while I was there I constantly thought this. I didn’t know what I wanted but I made the steps to get into a nice program for something I do enjoy and take pride in. I got an internship from this too and love the job and the people I work with. It doesn’t pay very well, but for right now, it works. If any of you were like me and went to college not knowing what you want to do or where your interests are, work towards figuring it out now. Don’t waste your time and money if college is not right for you. If you find out there is something a college can provide that you are passionate about then I say pursue it. But you really have to dig deep and find what inspires, and interests you, and that might mean leaving college, and that’s ok.

As a guy, going for Comp Sci was the best decision I ever made in my life. Literally every day I think to myself "damn I'm so glad I went to school". If you are going to go, put in the effort to learn what to go for!

I'm currently in a university debt free. Though I failed my first semester because it was almost all online. I made enough money to pay for both semesters, It's a cheap college but hey, it's something. Though I'm currently wondering if I should just stop going after this semester, work on patenting something I made for a class project, making a working prototype, all that. The professor even told me I should patent the idea.

I'm 3 years into college studying IT. My college is an overpriced Internet cafe. Its focusing more on theory than practical and those 3 years would've been better spent just using Internet resources to teach myself...but I was 17 when I made the decision and now 21 year old me has to live with it. It is what it is but I would definitely recommend waiting a year or two before applying for college, put yourself out into the world and get the mental growth that the school system could never instil in you.

When I was in high school I got lucky enough to be given a full scholarship to unc Charlotte if I played for there soccer team since I’m pretty good, my parents went crazy at the idea I could go to college for free. The thing is I always played soccer as a hobby and I hated the idea of making soccer my job so I turned down the scholarship and instead went to welding school. I now make 82k a year after 3 years of welding experience.

I feel like that lesson you listened to is the only one I really did as well. Don't borrow or owe any money, if you can't pay then don't play. University was never for me either but I regret not trying harder in the school I did do. It feels like a scam that to build good credit you need to borrow money when I would rather just never owe in the first place. I know many people are forced into those horrible situations where you need to borrow to afford the cost of living and then it's a spiral of taking money from the poorest people instead of the ones with spare money.

Something people never talk about is that depending on what you're studying it does NOT NEED TO TAKE THE ENTIRE YEAR...college is wasting away our lives and the reward is debt.

I dropped out of a psych major with a 3.6 at Florida State university. I was DONE arguing with professors who felt the need to present the sick theories of Freud and other mental historic figures as if they were fact. Not to mention every female professor I had was preaching feminist theory. I now work on a tow truck flipping junk cars and make more than I would have made as a psychologist.

I went into the military and got into IT. Best decision of my life. I’m now a software tester working on a development team. I’m learning Python programming at the moment so I can become a test engineer. You don’t need to join the military to get into IT. Start off as a help desk technician and work your way from there. Or if you can problem solve and critical think learn a programming language. Information security jobs are abundant. Companies are having a hard time filling those jobs.

As someone who is a 1st generation born American, the pressure/ expectations is REAL HIGH from family to go to school. I started College, found out AFTER graduation I had to pay for it myself. I wasn’t allowed to have a job when I was in high school because “school was my job” so I struggled trying to work (struggling just trying to get a job) and go to school. Then I met my husband, we got married, he had an accident and I had to leave school to work to provide full time. My family blamed him for me not being in school, even though the community college I had started at kept pulling more and more requirements for an AA out of the woodworks and made getting back in school damn near impossible. I finally finished my AA a few years later while I was pregnant with my daughter and decided I was done. It wasn’t worth the headache, stress, and debt for MAYBE getting into whatever field. I also didn’t want to get a BA just to have it. I now work in a trade, make more than some of my peers to went and got a Masters, BA etc. I have a great work life balance, I’m helping my husband pay off his student loans, we pay our own bills, and leave comfortably within our means. Should the opportunity arise, I would love to give my husband a chance to become a Stay at home Spouse, but he’s fine working as a teacher in the meantime. Do you think my grandparents/ parents see me as successful? HAHAHA But I have had to come to terms with it’s my life, I need to be happy with myself and my actions and focus on my and my small family’s future. If my kid wants to go to technical school, college, or a trade, that will be their choice and I will try to make sure they are set up for whatever they choose, I want them to have a better understanding about the everyday things that I was just thrown into.

I am one of the young men not going to college right out of high school. All of my family doesn't support it, so I'm basically on my own. Gonna make it without it I promise

The fact that it isn't free and that colleges were still charging full prices for online classes would be a major issue as well. University isn't affordable and unattainable.

The success/happiness rate of college graduates would be much higher if college wasn't pushed at 18. I think you should enter college at like 23-25. I started at 18 and: 1. I should have went to a community college for the first two years (general ed is basically the same no matter where you go but the cost at a community college is like 20% of the cost of a big University), 2. I had no idea what I wanted to do/be and 3. Didn't have the maturity/life lessons to even start trying to figure out my career at that age. It's a joke that a 17 year old is seen as a kid that doesn't know anything but when you turn 18 you're an adult that has to plan/figure out the career you want for the rest of your life to be successful? I got a Communications degree after switching from a Finance major cause I didn't like it and thought I'll have more "creative" jobs with this Comms major. Fast forward 12 years I work in the Finance sector (surprise, surprise) and love it while other Comms majors I know are sales driven careers and I HATE sales (worked as a sales banker for 3-4 years before I got the job I have now). I wish I could start college later in life cause I think I would have been more successful in obtaining that finance degree for a much higher paying 9-5 job. Now I'm not saying I didn't learn anything with this degree and didn't gain value, but I think I wouldn't have had to play the catch up game if starting later in school to gain some life experience. But then again, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. Others not so much.

Already told my kids, if your not in STEM, I ain’t paying for it. Community colleges/trade schools is 100% is the way forward. That or get that scholarship!

What preach said honestly made me feel better. I got taken out of first grade and my folks never put me back in school or homeschooled me, tricky situation to get into but I have the basic knowledge to work a job and support myself. I want to get my GED and get some further stuff to make myself feel better and happier about my current schooling witch is zero. But what is most important to me is that I can get a job without any paper to prove I can do it because I already have experience from other jobs. 2 years taco bell, four months in a wearhouse driving forklift and sky jacks, and now, line worker at a plastics plant. I have always loved my jobs.

I relate to that phrase so much... "I just feel so lost" Throughout my four years in high school, and the next four years in university, it always felt like what I was learning didn't matter, but my family would continually tell me that that was the way. Now I actually know what I want (I always wanted to write a story, so I started writing a web novel series at the start of the lockdowns and have gotten nice results and enjoyed my time with this hobby), and if I had started years ago before any of this instead of being told that was a wrong path and a stupid one, I think id be much less depressed than I am now.

Imagine going to trade school and making 6-figures, but people in the media are wilding out because it’s not University.

I went into the Navy when I was 25. I was a cook. I got a culinary degree and went straight into management. I HATED IT! But, I was debt free and still had a GI Bill. I got ANOTHER free degree (actually, I made a profit going to school). Now, I'm 46 and just got my journeyman electrician license and am loving life. I work at a different location every day. I'm outside a lot of the time doing "man shit" and shutting the fuck up. I don't have to deal with customers or comment sections. I don't have to compete with women, but I do have my choice of them. You don't have to be on a front line fighting an "enemy" to extract value from that system. I got promoted to Captain's Cook in my second year and spent more time on Virginia Beach than I did in the kitchen unless we were on deployment. YOU HAVE OPTIONS even within systems that don't fit inside your world view. I saved my name tags from my military service and display them in my den. I never kept one from any fuckin restaurant I worked for. Just sayin.

When I was 18 I enlisted and didn’t tell my parents until it was time to drive in. Partially to avoid this. Seeking something more college being pushed as the path in the home. And me having no idea what the future entailed and just seeking more guidance than I had already been given. It’s not a path I’d recommend for most people it’s really for a certain type of person. But I feel that. Debt that looks like and probably is connected to what for me would have been a guess based on monetary opportunity.

I really appreciate Preach delving into his university experience. I can tell it still affects him a great deal. I'm 36 and am in college for the third time. I wasn't ready when I was 18. Tried again when I was 29 and life got in the way. It's tough and our K-12 education system is woefully inadequate. Thus why most of college is trying to get you up to speed.

I lost it at “he may not make as much as you, but best believe he has less debt” 1of the best quotes of the year for me

As someone with a BA, and the experience I had trying to get my last 3 graduating credits (I had to argue 400 level Chinese history courses should cover the freshman 'cultural studies' general requirement - insane), I ended up feeling like College was just another way to extract wealth from me. My degree has never come up in any job application/interview. The only practicle skills I learned were how to think critically, talk circles around people (thank you Formal Logic), and write at a level which makes my peers look like kindergarteners. Outside of that, just debt. My tangible skills seem to make no difference in any job I've ever held (restaurant industry, then real estate, now a health insurance analyst). I work in a field totally unrelated to my education - and I feel like those 5yrs could have been better served working instead of in a classroom.

As a dude with a college degree I agree I’m Happy people aren’t being pressured into going to college anymore

I think young men are realizing they can make more earlier in life if they either pick a trade or just start working. My son is 19, he makes $20/hr, is fully insured, has a 401k. His friends are either at University or moved to "the city" and are working retail for $13/hr (min wage here). My kid will own a house and retire before his friends if he just keeps his head down and works hard.

I'm a college professor and I tell my students that if everyone in America got a college degree, then the people working at Burger King would have college degrees. You getting a degree does not change the structure of the economy. Some jobs are plentiful and others are scarce. Employers pay for jobs that need to get done, not your fantasy of a perfect life. Before you pick a major check out the placement rate. Are there jobs in the field you like? Who is hiring? What skills do they need? Then decide. Trades can pay very well. No shame in that.

Wow this is exactly what I am doing! I will get my associates soon and then I am quitting because college is actually the worst thing imaginable. The degree I was going for was electrical engineering but stem fields that don’t require you to have access to expensive and illegal machinery can be learned so much quicker outside of class. For example when I was first learning coding I stopped going to my class so I could focus on self teaching my self and to make server side software. I would then just show up on tests day and do enough assignments to get my A. But looking back on it I was essentially paying an institution money to hold me back by forcing me to waste time in minuscule practice problems. I finally got all my software operational and I have been making a living off of it. I am just imagining where I would be at if I could focus all my time and energy into my servers. College is a waste do not do it!!!

"If you can't pay, then you don't play. " was one of the wisest things MY single mother gave me growing up. Of all of the trouble I did get into, financial trouble wasn't one of them.

Dropped out of college for trade school, trade school cost me 3500 and I’m on pace to make 85k this year.(aircraft mechanic) Also I have good benefits.

Even though I put most of the accountability on myself, I still put some of it on my grandparents. They kept bugging me on the importance on going to college, pointing out things like cars, houses, and being able to do whatever you want because those individuals went to college and was able to find a career. And I followed it, and as a result I still don't know what I wanted to do. Stuck at a part time position and looking for a full-time position, they did not teach me how many tries it takes and only taught me that to only study hard, get good grades, and a degree in order to get a job. And I regret not being able to figure it out on my own in time.

Proud college dropout here! For years, the education system has indoctrinated me into pursuing higher education, but after attending university for one semester, I was like, "F&#% this s*i#!" and dropped out. Before COVID, I took an interest in stocks & day trading, so I decided to open a brokerage account. After taking advantage of the dirt-cheap share prices and selling off some of them as the prices started to rise, I found myself profiting to the point I could pay off my debt AND still have plenty of leftover funds to further grow my wealth! Dropping out was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am never looking back

It’s not that we don’t want to go to school. It’s that we’ve learn that we’re basically getting scammed into the system where else we could find cheaper education online.

I LOVE this. My son is 17 and just graduated highschool. I have been explaining for a few years now that I DID NOT want him jumping in to school because I believe this is how a "mid-life crisis" is formed. Kids need time to figure themselves out.

I refuse to finish my masters degree. It’s such a scam!! I was just promoted to a role that requires a master degree. My husband is now the executive director where he works and he only has an associates degree. Also I actually took my college to arbitration because we are not allowed to sue colleges. Colleges are allowed to do whatever they want!!! Charge you and change the price anytime they want. Then they drain your financial aid.

Loved the video and this is so true. Most of the successful people I know didn’t go to college they just got a job right out of high school and work their way up or they’re self-employed. Some of the ones that did go to college that are successful are not doing what they originally went to college for. Colleges are so expensive for what you actually get, which is a lot of brainwashing most of the time. Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to college. College is right for some people but, I will say one thing thats unfortunate, is the the way some people with degrees view people without degrees. I really wish that would change. Minus a few specialty careers you can literally fill your mind with knowledge of just about any subject with books and the Internet. There are things that I’ve done pretty extensive research on, only to have some people just completely ignore me or argue with me when they find out I don’t have a degree in the subject. It’s frustrating. I also think it’s pretty ridiculous that they’re pushing for free college. The concept sounds good, but that means everybody including the people that didn’t go to college have to pay for these kids. Just because we didn’t go to college does not mean we don’t have other loans or bills to pay and nobody’s paying those for us. Keeps up the good work guys. 😉

My nephew doesn't even know what he wants to eat and he's expected to pick what he will make his whole life about.