Why I Joined Praxis

Originally, I made plans to attend art school and become a fashion designer.

But I was filled with uncertainty so I decided to major in IT since I heard about people making six figures and they’re in demand.

My plans were to make a load of money then pursue a career in fashion.

However, I only lasted for two semesters as an IT major before I failed physics and Java programming and then switched majors to Business. But business didn’t work either. I dropped out halfway through my degree for several reasons.

My mental and physical health suffered

It started with my declining mental health which caused my physical health to suffer. I was stressed out, underweight, and experiencing burnout. Then I thought to myself, “Is this really worth it? I’m doing all this work and I’m not gaining any career training. I thought college would prepare me for the real world.”

My high school counselors and teachers misled me about the meaning of success.

They said earn any degree and you’ll have a good future. But I met many people who were in careers completely different than their degree which leads me to my next point.

Why waste a hundred thousand dollars on something you won’t use?

Seriously where’s the logic in that? Colleges have scammed young people out of thousands of dollars for a career they might get and they don’t teach basic career skills. We are encouraged to be financially reckless and take out loans.

I refused to be a slave to debt and it wouldn’t be morally right to shift the burden onto my parents. They barely make enough to pay the bills. This is my personal responsibility.

I don’t hate college and I agree that it’s necessary for careers like STEM, medicine, law, or accounting, but most people won’t pursue careers like that. The only classes I don’t regret spending my money on are microeconomics and macroeconomics taught by Professor Jack Chambless. I’ll write more about him in another post.

When I took my first programming class everything the professor taught could be found on Youtube for free. He didn’t actually teach. Instead, he would put on a Youtube tutorial from another professor then say: “I’m here if you need me.”

I soon found out that you can learn almost anything for free or at a low cost from Youtube, Google, and Udemy.

Degrees have devalued and employers realize that

We’ve heard universities offering degrees like gender studies or feminist dance therapy. Degrees that aren’t in demand won’t pay well and it’ll decrease your chances of gaining employment.

Degrees are ubiquitous now and when the majority have them it’s not as rare anymore. As a consequence, wages go down.

Practical job skills

I attended a community college for two years and I’m glad I started out there because it was cheaper than other schools. I went in with the idea that I’ll be taught everything I needed to know and that I’ll be ready to work.

Instead, I sat through useless classes that were irrelevant to my business degree. English classes taught you prose instead of basic communication skills like how to email or copywrite.

College wasn’t for me

After I graduated high school, I thought college professors would teach in a different way rather than just lecturing all day and handing assignments to you.

I expected them to teach different learning styles but it was more of the same thing from high school. Eventually, I realized I had to take full control of my education.

So I after I heard about the promises of Praxis I took a leap of faith and applied. Everything I’m learning has real-world applications and I’m feeling more prepared for my future career.

I hope my story will inspire you to take control of your education and life.