I Love College, I Hate School

I’m a total college girl. I love wearing college sweatshirts, cheering at basketball (so much so that I cheer for the school I transferred from and the one I currently attend) or hockey games, partying at all times, supporting student government, loving the gym and dining halls, repping NU right here on CollegeCandy, playing on intramurals and familiarizing myself with all the fun trivia about my school. Example: Did you know that Northeastern University is really the first place that the Red Sox played? Yep, the Red Sox didn’t always play at Fenway. Back when they were the Pilgrims/Americans, they played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, which is now part of our campus. The area is immortalized with a bronze statue of Cy Young.

Yes, I love college. Probably more than Asher Roth. The experience of being at a University is incredible, my social life is banging, my sister goes to school right around the corner at BU, and I live in the “big city” version of a college town. The Boston area is home to over twelve major universities and I’m familiar with all of them. Or at least their frat houses.

Here’s the thing though, I hate SCHOOL. Ever since I was a little girl I was constantly reprimanded for not focusing and not living up to my full potential. I’ve always tested well, but I hate sitting in a classroom. I love to read, but if someone gives me a reading assignment it’s like pulling teeth to complete it. I’m a bright girl, but I find that I do the bare minimum to skate by with a B- average.

To make it even worse, my father is in academics, my mother is a librarian, both have Master’s degrees and my honor-roll little sister racked up more college credits by taking APs her senior year than I did in my freshman year. In actual college. Basically, she cries if she gets an A- and I cheer for a B+. And most of my friends adore classes and wouldn’t dream of missing a day.

I just don’t get it.
I heart my campus, but I hate the classroom.

However, I have always been super into working. Even when I wasn’t old enough to work, I was always trying to scam people into buying my old toys or writing newsletters to my mother with “WANTED” ads asking her to hire me to clean the house, for a price. I started babysitting at a very young age and then moved into administrative work, photo technician, being a teller at a bank and then steadily working retail from age 16 until my sophomore year of college.

So, my life has taken a crazy turn. I fell in love with my 6 month-internship (Northeastern calls them co-ops) and I have an opportunity to extend my work even further, for another 12 months, to be exact. I’ve been working in the marketing department for a beauty company and I adore it. I thrive in a work environment. I’ll half-ass any project for Sociology but at work I’m on my grind, putting in the long hours and tackling projects. The company I work for inspires me and going to work makes me happy, unlike going to class.

I know I need my bachelor’s degree, but converting to a non-traditional education might be the right road for me. My school offers an online program where I can finish my bachelor’s degree away from campus. However, in doing so, I’d have to give up my senior year experience, the flexibility and the general awesomeness of school for a full-time job and online business classes, all at once.

And I’m not sure what I should do. I love my job and I’m honored to be considered, but is it enough to give up my last year of college? Do I suffer through the classes to get one more year of the good life, or take this job (we all know how hard they are to come by these days) and kick-start my real life now?

I have a week to make my decision so any and all advice is welcome. Help!