The UnCollege Alternative: Your Guide to Incredible Careers and Amazing Adventures Outside College

Author: Danielle Kwatinetz Wood
List Price: $14.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0060393084
Publisher: ReganBooks (01 April, 2000)
Sales Rank: 89,513
Average Customer Rating: 4.57 out of 5

Customer Reviews

Rating: 2 out of 5
disappointing
I bought this book about a year ago when my son was a high school senior, and was briefly considering not going directly to college. The edition I have is copyright 2000, so perhaps the content is not the same as the item listed here. But when I looked into a number of the programs listed, I found that many actually required some college, or a specific field of study, or required participants be a certain age, or turned out to be unpaid volunteer programs rather than jobs or paid internships. I'd prefer to think that the 2000 edition is simply out of date (the research was probably done five years ago, or more). But I'm reluctant to recommend this book, at least for the purpose I sought it out -- finding opportunities for high school grads who don't want to go directly to college.


Rating: 5 out of 5
A Down-To-Earth Look at the Possibilities Beyond College
I first picked up this book when I was debating about whether or not to stay in college. Danielle Wood's witty, down-to-earth, and downright common sense is one of the things that helped me make up my mind.

In a society where college is seen as the ONLY way to go if you want to succeed, and it's becoming a very expensive way to go at that, more and more people are wondering if it's really all it's cracked up to be. This is a great book because it doesn't trash college in any way. It's just a sampling of what's out there if you decide NOT to go to college.

I referred back to this book when writing an article for my website titled "The Ecology of College," and it's as helpful now as it was then. When you're being pressured on all fronts to go to college, this book provides a fresh perspective by offering some healthy questioning and unbiased honesty.

If I could, I'd buy a copy for every high school senior I know. This is the kind of book that might make parents a little nervous, and readers a little anxious, but ultimately it'll help you make an informed decision, which beats ignorance any day.


Rating: 5 out of 5
Educate Yourself on Alternatives
The UnCollege Alternative is a great resource for those students who are in college and questioning whether or not they should be there. Ms. Wood makes an excellent point early on in the book: would you just walk into a store and point at something and say "ring it up", regardless of the cost? The author states that when students go on to college without really thinking it through as to whether or not college is for them - they are saying "ring it up" possibly for a $80,000 education.

What makes The UnCollege Alternative shine is the wide variety of potential career paths the author discusses, many of which can bring in significant incomes. She discusses all aspects of each career path: needed training, certification, potential income and job market, as well as providing a sort of "day in the life of" feel.

I think often students just go to college not knowing what they want to study, just going because that's what they are "supposed" to do. I recommend this book for ALL high school and current college students. Even if you decide that college is the right track for you, at least you are educated in what some alternatives are. It is important to know just what's out there before you potentially spend four years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars.

Another excellent book I recommend on a similar subject is "Taking Time Off" by Colin Hall and Ron Lieber.

Similar Products

But What If I Don't Want to Go to College?: A Guide to Success Through Alternative Education (But What If I Don't Want to Go to College)
YOU'RE CERTIFIABLE : The Alternative Career Guide to More Than 700 Certificate Programs, Trade Schools, and Job Opportunities
The Back Door Guide to Short-Term Job Adventures: Internships, Extraordinary Experiences, Seasonal Jobs, Volunteering, Working Abroad


Book Index