You can go your own way: community college, apprenticeships in the trades, the military—so many routes to explore in advancing your education besides a four-year degree

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2005 by Christen Brownlee

Many high school students choose college because they don t think there's anything else, or they think adults don't want to hear any other ideas, according to Ken Gray, author of Other Ways to Win: Creating Alternatives for High School Graduates (Corwin Press). But choosing college isn't the only path to success.

According to Gray, about 80% of all jobs require less than a four-year degree. The professional pilot training program at West Wind Aeronautics school in Phoenix, for example, takes only 10 months to complete. "And hiring of pilots has more than doubled since 2003," says Robert Lang, director of admission.

"The overall point is it's okay to be different from your friends [who may be going to college]," says Gray. If a four-year school doesn't seem right for you now, consider these alternate paths:

TRADE SCHOOL

Charlie Livingston's high school years in Middletown, Connecticut, were a blur of regular courses and technical classes--he crammed in as much shop, woodworking, and welding as he could handle. Sometimes he'd even hang out with friends who went to a nearby technical high school and help them do electrical work. He knew right away that he loved working with his hands, climbing ladders, and running wire. But when graduation rolled around, he decided to take the same route as many other students in his high school: he started toward a four-year degree.

After enrolling at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, though, Livingston wasn't sure what he wanted to major in, and he didn't like going to class. When he finished his second semester, he dropped out and decided to pursue the electrical work he really enjoyed.

Now, he's taking a one-year electrical training program and is well on his way to a career as an electrician, a job that can pay more than $33 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Plus, the electrical training program costs only about $15,500--thousands less than the $56,000 it would have cost to attend his state college or four years.

For more on apprenticeships that train students to become electricians, visit www.electrifyingcareers.com.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

When George Kutnerian was a junior at Fresno Christian High School in Fresno, California, he entered a special "enrichment" program in which he earned college credit by taking classes at a community college. Kutnerian thought by taking Spanish at Fresno City College, he could satisfy his college language requirements early, but he wasn't sure what to expect from the experience.

"I had always thought that community colleges had a negative stigma, but I never really understood why," he says.

By the time he wrapped up high school with two college classes under his belt, Kutnerian, now 22, had a whole new view of community colleges. After he met with the director of Fresno City's honors program, Kutnerian decided that a community college could best suit his needs.

"I could have gotten into plenty of good four-year schools, but the honors program ended up being the only place I applied," he says.

During his two years at community college, Kutnerian focused on business and political science classes and participated in an unexpected wealth of extracurricular activities. He got involved in student government, served as president of an honor society, and joined Upward Bound, a volunteer mentoring program.

Like many states, California offers most of its top community college students guaranteed admission into a four-year state school if they want to transfer. Because of his outstanding record, Kutnerian was a shoe-in to transfer into his dream school, University of California-Berkeley, where he is currently enrolled.

By going to Fresno City College first, Kutnerian paid only about $1,200 per year, as opposed to a whopping $34,000 at UC-Berkeley. Also, many students save even more by living at home with their parents.

But saving money isn't the only reason to choose community college. Many boast smaller classes, professors with plenty of office hours, and a range of courses from nursing to foreign languages to animation. Plus, the quality of instruction can equal that offered at a four-year university.

Community colleges are accessible--there's one within a short drive of more than 90% of Americans. And if you enroll in your late teens or early twenties, you'll be in good company but certainly with a diverse age range. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, about 55% of all community college students are age 24 or below.

Kutnerian's overall advice on community colleges? "Stay focused, or you could be spending six years there instead of the usual two."

For more information on community colleges, visit www.aacc.nche.edu.

VOLUNTEERING

Jessika Moore, 19, always knew that she wanted to go to college. But after she graduated from Mark Morris High School, in Long View, Washington, she had no plan, no money, and no clue where she wanted to go next.

"I didn't want to waste whatever tuition I was going to have to pay out because I didn't know where my life was heading," she says. After telling her mother that she wanted to take a year off, Jessika heard an ad on the radio for a volunteer program called the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).