Alternatives to university: what options do you have if you decide not to study a degree?

Discover all the training options available after finishing high school.It is usually the third step in any training process: first, school, second, high school and third, university.

However, many people are clear that they do not want to study a degree and therefore look for alternatives to university.

If you are not sure how to boost your professional career, this guide details the different options with which you can enrich your training.

How do you get into university?

Although many people think that you can only access university after completing high school, the truth is that there are different ways to enter a degree:

Have a high school diploma and pass the University Entrance Examination (EBAU).
Have a Higher Vocational Training Technician degree.
Pass the entrance exam for those over 25 years of age.
If you are over 40 years old, you must have professional training related to the career you wish to study.
Pass the entrance exam for people over 45 years of age.
If you are a foreign student, you must have approved studies equivalent to the Spanish Baccalaureate.

As you can see, you can access university through different routes, some of them at more advanced ages, so it is an option that you can postpone until a stage in which you already have professional experience, as is the case with MBAs.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying at university?

As with other study options, studying at university has some pros and cons that we detail below.

Advantages

Building a large professional network . Going to college puts you in touch with other highly capable college students, allowing you to build a valuable network of contacts for the future.
Access to educational resources . Being a university student gives you access to educational resources that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Greater personal development . Attending classes from many university professors will help you develop yourself on a personal and professional level.
Satisfaction . Completing a university degree is a great satisfaction due to the amount of time and effort you will have to invest to achieve it.
Unique job opportunities . Studying certain degrees allows you to apply for certain jobs for which having a degree is an essential requirement.

Disadvantages

A huge investment of time and money . Studying a degree takes many years and, depending on whether you study at a public or private university, it also involves a large financial outlay ( although you can always apply for a scholarship ).

Pressure and stress . Passing exams in some subjects in your degree can expose you to a major challenge, which will result in many hours of study and great stress about the results.
Unmet employment expectations . Many university students become frustrated because after graduating they are unable to find jobs that match their training .
Low correlation between what you have learned and what is required in the market . Some teachers in some courses are not as up-to-date as they should be, so it may happen that what you learn at university has little application in your professional career.

What are the most common reasons for deciding not to go to university?

Deciding not to go to university is more common than you might think, as there are numerous reasons to opt for other educational options.Below we detail the most common ones:

Difficulty in combining classes with work . Many people need to work to pay for their studies and this means that they cannot attend classes regularly.
No university degree is 100% convincing . It is also common for students not to find a degree that fully convinces them in the training offer.
Financial difficulties . Unless you study at a public university in your own city , studying a degree generally entails expenses, which is why people often give up because they cannot cope with them.
Demand in the labour market . Demand for professionals fluctuates, and if for example one year the demand for doctors is high, the following year it may not be so, which adds uncertainty when it comes to studying a career.

Alternatives to university: how to continue studying without enrolling in a degree

With what you have read, you may be considering not studying a degree, but that does not mean that you have to stop studying.

In the following lines we give you three options to continue your education away from university.

Study FP

Vocational training (FP) is an excellent alternative if you do not want to continue your studies at university. This is a type of learning that is more focused on the practice of professions that are in high demand in the labor market.

In addition, obtaining a vocational training qualification, in addition to teaching you a profession, serves as a way of entering university in case you change your mind and want to complete your academic training.

Study abroad

Another very interesting option is to continue your studies in another country, or go alone with the firm intention of improving your language skills.

What to do if none of the above options convince you?

There is always the possibility that none of the training options we have just listed will convince you. But it is not the end of the world either, as there are three alternatives as you will see below.

Looking for a job

The easiest and most direct option is to enter the labour market. It is true that, without any training, the jobs you will apply for, at least in the beginning, will be less qualified (and therefore less well paid).

Volunteering

If you are looking for a life lesson, to travel to another country and explore other cultures, a very interesting option is volunteering with an NGO.

It can be a stage of greater personal growth until you decide if you want to study something in the future.

Studying to pass competitive exams

The intermediate step between the two worlds, studying and working, is taking a competitive exam, since you will have to study to get a position in the Public Administration.

Preparing for a competitive exam of medium difficulty usually requires between 12 and 18 months of study, which requires full-time dedication.