“If breaking the mold was easy, there would be no mold to break.”

If you’re anything like me, college is probably too slow for you and if you’ve recently decided to drop out, life might feel pretty overwhelming right now.

I can assure you, it will get better. I found a path much more suitable for those of us who don’t fit the mold.

Here’s a bit of my story:

Background

Besides graduating high school through the pandemic, I had a typical “go to college” path laid out for me. I was in the top 10 of my class, planning to play college football, and felt generally excited for the classic “college social experience”. I held onto the belief that if I didn’t go to college, many people would have viewed me as a failure or as screwing up my future.

I went to a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania to earn a degree in “applied economics” (for those of you that don’t know, that’s liberal arts for “business”).

In that year, I did well academically. I recorded a 3.6 cumulative GPA and made the dean’s list for both semesters. I made some friends, started a side hustle (see @gringofades on Instagram), and I learned a bit about living on my own.

All of that seems great on the surface, so I’m sure you’re wondering what it was that made me drop out.

Please, allow me to explain.

There were plenty of factors that led to my decision, but here’s the three biggest things that pushed me over the edge.

Indoctrination

Whether it was political, social, or COVID-19 related, the majority of professors and people I met in college did not encourage me to think differently than anyone else.

In fact, I often found that differing opinions and viewpoints were not welcome in classrooms or in more casual social settings outside of class. This is the complete opposite of what I expected from an environment that I wanted to challenge me and continue to open my mind.

Administration, professors, faculty, as well as students all showed me that there was a certain way to feel and think on campus.

I often found myself suppressing many of the ideas I had wanted to share for fear of backlash and judgement. This is no way to learn.

How could I take that into my career and create value? If I developed a habit of worrying about whether my ideas would be granted discussion, how could I grow as an individual?

Why would I subject myself to that kind of close-mindedness, let alone pay for it?

Aimless Learning

I wasn’t going to school to be a doctor or lawyer. I actually had no idea what I wanted to do. I had some basic ideas about things that might pique my interest, but I didn’t have a solid plan.

There’s nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do with your life at 18, but I found it to be a poor early investment decision to spend $30,000 a year for 4+ years, only to remain uncertain of what kinds of skills and career paths actually excited me.

In reality, a four-year degree would not have produced any value for me as a professional because I wouldn’t have developed the skills and mindsets it takes to succeed in the workforce.

Party Culture

This one’s huge. Kids graduate high school and go berserk in college because, for many, they’re getting to experience their first dose of parentless freedom.

It’s an understandable reaction, but it goes on for far too long. I won’t tell anyone how to live, but I saw this in my own life. If I stayed in an environment that pushed partying all weekend, then it would have been rather difficult to grow and mature.

Most students go out all night Friday night, sleep all day on Saturday, go out all night Saturday night and sleep all day on Sunday. If done on a consistent basis, that’s roughly 36 consecutive hours just thrown away. Imagine what could be done with even 24 of those hours?

That type of mindset encourages trudging through the week to reach the end goal-a weekend of late nights and self-damaging activities. I couldn’t live like that for 4 years and I definitely couldn’t expect to create a valuable career for myself either in that kind of culture and environment.

A New Path

After deep thought and discussion with friends and family, I decided to pursue Praxis, a business-driven apprenticeship training program. It’s branded as a college alternative that guides young professionals (not exclusively though!) through training for the workforce and then helps with landing that first job. It lasts for a year and costs a fraction of the price of college tuition. After graduating from the program, “Praxians” maintain lifetime membership and access to a community and network of other alumni and business partners.

I’m currently in my 6th week of the program, and I’ve loved every second of it. It’s everything I thought it would be and more. As I continue to grow and learn as an individual, my excitement and eagerness to begin my career follow along!

The Path Less Traveled

I don’t belong on the path most traveled. I’m not claiming superiority, but I definitely think, learn, and work differently than most.

If you feel the same way, I strongly recommend that you don’t ignore that feeling. There are alternatives to formal education.

Apply to Praxis.

Pursue a trade.

Seek out a CEO to apprentice.

Work your tail off to earn enough to invest in real estate.

There are so many other paths.

Don’t be afraid to test them out.

I don’t fit the “mold” and I couldn’t be happier to break it.

How Blue-Collar Jobs Have Become the Building Blocks of my Career

A typical truckload for WarrenRidge Landcare

Here’s a rundown of the value I found as a landscaper and how it has impacted my professional development.

Earning Every Dollar

Blue-collar work is typically hands-on physical labor. You do jobs that leave some dirt and/or grease on your clothes…well, everywhere else too.

It’s the kind of work that makes you feel like you’re really earning that paycheck, but it’s also the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.

Each day, I got to see the fruit of my labor, and that’s a feeling that can’t be replicated.

Digging Holes and Pulling Weeds

Recently, I worked for a company called WarrenRidge Landcare.

We focused on maintaining the quality and aesthetic of customer properties.

We did everything from pulling dead plants and replacing them with new ones, lawn fertilization, and even mailbox installations!

Life-long Skills

Work Ethic

My co-worker and I once dragged 6 300+ pound trees up a hill using a push-cart. Another time, we put 20 of those same kinds of trees in the ground in under 30 minutes.

That’s the kind of work ethic I developed while I was with the company. I did the nitty-gritty tasks. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty and I don’t feel like any task to beneath me.

Blue-collar work teaches this kind of toughness and perseverance, and I know I can take that mentality into any company and be a valuable asset.

Patience

Physical labor can be aggravating if something isn’t cooperating.

When we were installing a mailbox at a customer’s house, we dug into a 4’x4’ block of concrete. It’s easy to throw a fit about that, but it doesn’t get the job done any faster.

I learned to be patient about these kinds of situations and to become surgical in the way I attacked the problem.

This kind of patience makes it much easier to work with others, tackle daunting tasks, and complete meticulous tasks.

Bonus Lesson

Warren-Ridge Landcare focuses its business on a very specific location in order to maximize profits.

The area we worked in is fairly affluent, and most of our customers were too busy to do any of their own yard work, or they lacked the skills to do some of the tasks we did for them.

We also saved a lot of money on transportation by not traveling far for jobs.

This business model taught me the importance of getting to know the kind of customer you want to target.

From Hydrangeas to Office Spaces

Blue-collar work is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a successful career.

Some of the most successful people I’ve met started off by getting their hands dirty and I know my time spent in the blue-collar world will one day be a huge part of my story too.