A College Degree Doesn’t Define You

Please make sure to get a cup of tea or coffee this will be a long blog post response. It’s important to share this side of me with you all.

What I need you to understand through my journey about school is to not compare yourself to others. A degree doesn’t define you. What distinguishes you is what you bring to the table. Whether you decide to be in school or not, you will find success with or without a degree. A prime example of someone who has accomplished being a successful entrepreneur and didn’t go to college is probably that device you are holding. If you have iPhone congrats, the person behind Apple didn’t go to school. Instead, he made things happen. A college degree isn’t needed to be successful. It’s a matter of cause and effect. Please understand that where you find yourself in life, it’s your timing right now and based on the decisions you make for yourself.

Intro to the journey

After, experiencing a long relationship during my senior year in high school we both went our separate ways. I found myself confused about my own life, and what I wanted to do. I always feared when the question from people would come up of “what do you want to be” or “what do you want to major.” I utterly hated when people would bring that up because I myself didn’t even know what the hell I wanted to do. I will be sincere, in high school, I did not give a crap about my grades. My grades were average; I was not your ordinary honor roll high school student.

I am fortunate to have God and hardworking parents who encouraged me to get my sh*t together. I thank God for finding my worth in him, and for allowing me to have supportive parents. My parents have always encouraged me to further my education and receive every opportunity along the way.

I had a weird career phase. I went from Lawyer to Paralegal, to Early Childhood, to Business to finally Digital Marketing and Public Relations. You don’t have to know what you will major in college. You do need to figure it out along the way, but don’t rush yourself through the process of figuring it out.

Research the career you want to go into, reach out to people who work in the career field you may want to be in. Take personality and career quizzes to figure out what you lean towards to. I’ve reached out to magazine editors, media people to interview them about their career. I was able to get a sense of what they did to get from point A to point B. It helped me along the way to see what I wanted to do in my life. I had the opportunity to work in Chicago at the age of 19. Talk about still being a teenager and figuring it out along the way. So, please do yourself a favor and don’t pressure yourself into figuring it out all at once.

I started college two weeks after my high school graduation. Talk about throwing myself into school all over again. I know what you’re probably thinking “you didn’t take a break?” No, I didn’t. I never thought college would be for me because I didn’t think I could afford it and to be frankly honest my high school grades, GPA, all that crap was not so bueno either. Grades do not define someones worth or their potential to be who they are meant to be.

I started my journey by attending the College of Lake County which is a community college located in Grayslake, IL. Going to a community college was a blessing and a lifetime experience. I’ve said this before and will keep saying it. Opportunities don’t come knocking on your door. You need to get your butt off and get them. Going to a community college not only saved thousands of dollars, but I found myself. I didn’t waste any time. I learned how to speak up for myself, network with people in the industry that I love, and found internships/experiences in return.

May 2017, I graduated with my Associate in Arts in Business Administration. At the same time, I was working in Chicago which came with a lot of opportunities. In order to take advantage of those opportunities, I had to take a big risk. I had the choice to continue my school education or get real-world experience in Chicago. I was finishing up a few courses after graduation and balancing a demanding internship. But in January 2018, I decided to take a break of 6 months off from school. To be in Chicago full time (BEST RISK EVER).

It’s got me where I am today. I have been able to meet people of all walks of life, learn about the public relations industry, interview CEO’s, the list goes on. At the time my family was not okay with my decision and surprisingly shock, because I have always been dedicated to school. Eventually I proved to my family that putting school on hold, meant finding myself and what I’m passionate about. I feel blessed that I have been able to balance school, internships, work, etc. It’s not easy and of course, people think I’m crazy, but I call it pursuing what I want.

College doesn’t prepare you for the real world. It does give you the broad knowledge that you need to learn about a few things. That’s why I’m back in school to be more educated about a few concepts plus I love learning new things. However, it doesn’t prepare you for the real world. I learned more in my work relationships in Chicago than in school. The hustle and grind is so real. What you put your effort into you will see the results.

I decided to take this break because I didn’t want to be in school at the time. I didn’t want to end up with a degree, and then not be sure if I will do that in the real world. College is a confusing stage, whether you figure it out or you don’t. It’s okay. In my experience I took different jobs and internships in Chicago to figure out what I wanted to get a degree in. During this break, I found out what I’m truly passionate about in the business world.

I definitely recommend work experiences and internships over books. It’s who you know and what you know. Where you are in life is based on the decisions you make. Whether you are happy where you are in life or not, no one is to blame except yourself. Not happy with your current job? Quit and find what makes you happy. School isn’t for you? Go out to the real world to find that spark that makes you strive.

Now back in May 2018, I applied for a scholarship and I was fortunate enough to receive it because let’s be honest college isn’t cheap. I am back in school to finish up my Bachelors Degree in Digital Marketing at North Park University. I am taking online classes since I just need a few courses to graduate, plus to balance out Chicago full time and a business of my own that I have created. That is where I find myself now. And I’m proud of where I stand today.

Then, at the same time back in May all my close friends from high school were graduating from College. NO LIE there was a bit of pressure, not being in the same timing as them. However, I reminded myself I wouldn’t be where I am today without making the decisions I made. I have more experience than a degree.

So… why am I or anyone else feel in a rush to graduate from college at a certain point? Or why do we think we need to do certain things by an age? Because society portrays that by showing you that everyone else is doing it. Why the hell do we create these deadlines for ourselves? Do you have any idea how much stress you put on yourself by caring what everyone else will say about your decisions or where you are in life? That is not the way I want to live my life and neither should you. You should never compare your timing to someone else’s timing.

I hope my journey with school inspires you in a way to see that you bring something to the table. You are amazing and you have a special talent. If you find yourself in a job where you are not happy remember that the job won’t be permanent and you make things happen for yourself. If you work hard you will achieve whatever you want.

Thank you for your time for reading this post. Let me know what you think about it. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Until next time.

Xoxo, Yessi Bause