Hyo — Been there. It’s frustrating. What I learned in the past 10 years, however, is that I went to college for the wrong reasons. And unfortunately, I think most 18 year olds go for the wrong reasons. In my humble (and possibly incorrect) opinion, wrong reasons to go to college include: because your parents are making you go, because you’re expected to go (by you and others), because you define yourself by being the smart one and this is what smart ones do, because this path is the one that responsible people take to get jobs and get married and have 2.5 kids and be happy, etc.

The right reasons to go to college include: you aren’t sure what you want to do but you want to go to an academic setting to explore various internships and meet inspiring people to perhaps pique an interest for you to pursue LATER on, or because it might not help you get a job or a raise but it is a personal goal that you want to achieve, because you have figured out what you want to do and have actually tried it and loved it and college is a necessary step, etc.

Truth is, I’m not sure that I know any undergrad major that leads to employment — and I’m talking english, physics, biology, engineering, international relations, etc. Everyone had to start somewhere crappy and work up, or they went to grad school with a specific career in mind.

And I know you have loans coming out of your ears (me too!). And I agree that it is unfortunate that parents and schools have created this false impression of what college is and why you need it. But, I do have friends who didn’t go to college and now, in their 30s, they are pretty frustrated with their careers because they can’t break beyond a certain wage, while those with college degrees get promoted to positions they “aren’t qualified for”. Point being — the benefit of a degree is not immediate. It’s gradual. You probably won’t see it pay off in the next couple years (if you’re a recent-ish grad). Take some time. Figure out what you actually want for your career, do internships, volunteer with places, etc. Because liking the academics is VERY different than liking the job.