I absolutely hate the infamous question, “What do you want to do after high school?” which is usually quickly followed by, “What college are you going to?” and “What are you majoring in?”  Even though I know the answers to these fate sealing questions, I still dread answering them.

When I answer that I’m considering a gap year, I get the weirdest looks. Everyone seems to think I wouldn’t go back to school. Even if that is the case, why does it matter? I want to run a horse business. The most important lessons for me to learn come from the real world, not a college lecture hall. I can’t learn to run a business if I haven’t been actively involved in one. Spending my time reading from textbooks, only to get a piece of paper that says I obtained a degree is not how I want to spend my time.

I’d much rather live in a different country, working and riding for the top professionals in the sport. But, anytime I bring up the future without college in the picture, I’m immediately shut down by my family, my friends, and society. Why is it that ambitious teenagers attempting to fulfill their dreams are being told to conform, to just do what everyone else does, instead of following their dreams?

The root of a need for college comes from a skewed version of success. So many people seem to believe that happiness and money are directly related on a linear scale. The more money you have, the happier you are. However, I would argue that success is dependent on a person’s ability to be self-sufficient; capable of taking care of themselves without relying on the government to pick up their slack.

A person’s path to success is sometimes unclear;  it’s not always easy to figure out what you want to do, or how you will get there. No matter the circumstance, these people can take care of and provide for themselves, even if a college degree isn’t involved.

And yes, I’m aware there are statistics claiming that those college graduates make twice as much as those with only a high school degree. When looking at the top tier of business owners, however, many people at the very top never attended or even finished college. Ellen DeGeneres has a net worth of over $400 million, and she dropped out after only one semester at the University of New Orleans, according to Time magazine.

College may land you in a higher paying job at the beginning. However, all the extra years of school is what puts you deep in debt in the first place. It is incredibly important to keep in mind the traditional four years of high school and four year of college at a university are not the only way to find a job.

Whether your goals include going to college or not, the most important aspect of success and fulfilling goals is your willingness to work for what you want, and working towards something you enjoy.