While college may seem like a necessary step on one’s way to gaining a job, junior Andrew Beauchamp doesn’t feel he needs a college degree to start doing what he loves.

Beauchamp aspires to be a writer, a career choice which heavily influenced his decision to not attend college after finishing high school.

Surprisingly, he is not the only one to refrain from attending college. Between 2012 and 2013, college enrollment dropped by close to half a million, according to the United States Census Bureau. Last year alone college enrollment fell two percent, continuing the downward enrollment trend.

“Initially I wanted to go to college because it was always presented as something everyone had to do,” Beauchamp said. “When I figured out that I wanted to be a writer, I knew that nobody could make me a good writer. It was something I had to pursue on my own.”

After high school, instead of prepping his dorm room and buying textbooks, he plans to move to either Los Angeles or Portland, Oregon. In order to support himself Beauchamp plans to get a job and keep his living expenses low.

His choice to not attend college is not as radical as all may think. For one year straight he debated and contemplated on whether this idea would be the right fit for him.

“I don’t think going to college would help me enough to justify the debt it comes with,” Beauchamp said. “I want to become a writer and I already write now. It’d be a bad idea to commit myself to being a writer if I didn’t already write.”

His passion for writing stems from reading a variety of books since he was a young kid. Along the way, he as the reader, became an amateur author.

“I think it’s good writing that made me want to be a writer,” Beauchamp said. “I love how it connects the dots that are completely unexpected and there’s something satisfying and hopeful about the process.”

He believes the only person that can teach him how to become a better writer is himself. Of course he looks to a few of his good friends, like Hemmingway, to help through the process.

Although he admits his parents rather he attend college than go into the real world four years sooner than expected, they fully support his decision. Despite this, his parents weren’t the only ones to express concerns.

“The people that have criticized me for it have different priorities than I do,” Beauchamp said. “They’re not going to understand what’s important to me and that’s okay. They’ll hopefully go to college and be happy with that decision. I can’t do that, so I just respond by not worrying about it.”

Because there is no pressure to maintain above a 4.0 GPA, Beauchamp feels the benefits of learning at school just to learn, rather than learning to impress colleges with his scores.

“There are days where I think I might go to college later on if I’m successful, in order to pursue other interests,” Beauchamp said. “But just because there is a possibility I might attend college in the later future doesn’t mean it counts as doubting my decision.”

In general, he believes that college is not meant for every single person and that students shouldn’t feel pressure follow in this routine that has been embedded into society.

“I think it all depends on what that profession you are thinking about pursuing,” Beauchamp said. “You shouldn’t go to college unless you think it’ll help you. Don’t just go because you think you’re supposed to. Go because you actually know what you’re there for and you have a purpose to achieve there.”

Beauchamp stands among others not attending college, and is confident in his decision. After graduation, he hopes to prove his decision right by putting pen to paper.

“If I thought I would regret not going to college, I would just go to college,” Beauchamp said. “However, I can’t speak for my future self. If I end up unhappy about how my life turned out, it’d be easy to blame it on that decision. The best thing I could do at that point is to try not to dwell on the past.”