Want to know a secret? Successful people such as Ellen Degeneres, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates never graduated college. Not attending college, immediately following high school or at all, often comes with the stigma of laziness.. These days, students believe that their only option involves heading straight to college after high school graduation. Common knowledge supports that an increased salary accompanies a college degree, but when applying for a job, experience and attitude sets employees apart.

More than 44 million students in the U.S. find themselves in debt after college. Schools teach that every job requires a degree, causing students to miss out on other post-graduation opportunities such as traveling and volunteering. 1 in 5 students live with anxiety and depression due to student debt and spend their lives unhappy without work experience, but surprisingly, other options exist.

“A couple careers that interest me do not even require college. They just require experience or trade school,” senior Michael Wise said.

Steve Jobs, known for his success without a college degree, started his story in his parents’ garage—and his achievements did not stop there. His story proves that success can flourish without ever receiving a college diploma.

Studies show that students who take a gap year earn better grades than those who do not. Students who choose to delay college avoid academic burnout, unlike those who head straight to college. Trade school, the military, volunteer work, and entrepreneurship make up just a few alternatives to traditional college. Trade schools allow people to start jobs sooner and save money, due to the fact that it costs significantly less than college. On average, trade school costs students $33,000 compared to a bachelor’s degree of $127,000. Students who select to attend a trade school skip the mandatory core classes taken the first two years of college that typically have little to no relevance on one’s selected major. Deciding on military service comes with the majority of basic needs, including housing, food, and  healthcare; then they enjoy college paid for later in life.

“I have considered joining the military since my desired major, journalism, is so competitive. If I join the military, and then went into journalism, I would have a better chance of getting into that major,” senior Danielle Farmer said.

Students who take a gap year become stereotyped as lazy, indecisive failures. But in reality, people who choose to do this earn the chance to travel, make money, gain work experience, or participate in volunteer work in achievable ways without having to juggle  college.

“Students often set up gap years while in college. That’s actually easier, and of course many colleges offer study abroad programs, which typically do not involve heavy course loads,” Assistant Principal and Magnet Coordinator David Stephenson said.

Gap years may also motivate students to spend the year doing something related to their aspired career. For example, if a student wants to study education, teaching English in another country motivates him to return to school and helps him decided if he truly enjoys teaching. It can also boost GPA by allowing students to reset and bypass academic burnout; even Malia Obama will take a gap year before attending Harvard.

Gap years allow for students to mature and grow as individuals while seeking what they truly enjoy doing. Students have the opportunity to choose an alternative route that best fits them such as college, no college, or anything in between.