Part B: Decide If You Really Need to Go to College
Exceptionally smart (but I might be prejudiced), Declan is one of the most creative people I know. Traditional academia did not suit his learning style. Now he is building his own success story in his own manner, without being stifled by a system designed to produce employees.
The first decision you need to make in determining your financial future is whether you really need to go to college or university. I know suggesting some young people don’t need to go to college borders on heresy. After all, I have a master’s degree in Education! But the truth is:
- Some people are not temperamentally or intellectually suited for an academic life.
- All of our kids and bonus children are whip-smart, but many of them do not learn well in a traditional academic setting. For young people like this, being forced into a traditional education or career path can not only frustrate them to no ends, it can also damage their initiative, creativity, and likelihood of success.
- This is not an excuse for academic laziness. But the decision on whether to pursue a university degree should depend on your goals, learning style, and talents. Like everything else in life, this I hope you never base this decision on peer (or parental) pressure or worse: the “everyone else is doing it” excuse.
