If you’re feeling pressured to go to college, but you’re just not sure if you want to do it, you can actually try what it’s like to be a college student on a 3-week trial. You can give university life a test run for a period of time and see what’s it’s like to attend classes, take online classes, practice your time management skills, and check out student resources.

The University of Phoenix, an online college degree program, is offering college on a trial basis. Believe it or not, you can see what it’s like to take a couple of classes and see whether it’s for you. If you’re interested in the program, you’ll have to follow these steps:

• The University of Phoenix confirms that you weren’t previously admitted to the University in the past and that you have less than 24 college credits.
• You apply for one of the eligible online associate or bachelor’s degree programs in states that have been approved to participate in the program.
• You are placed in one of these introductory-level, credit-bearing courses: University Studies for Success or Foundations for University Success.
• If you qualify for the program, you are admitted for the first three weeks of the credit-bearing course.

The opportunity to give college a trial run is perhaps perfect for a teen wondering what to do with the rest of his or her life. Certainly, there are expectations from parents, teachers, and even friends on what course of life to take. Some friends might take a year off to travel. Others might be headed straight to an Ivy League school like Stanford or Yale. Parents might expect their children to work in the family business or they may demand that their children go to college right away, arguing that if they don’t go now it will be harder to go later.

It’s important to know that the choice is yours. It’s a difficult decision to make, and it’s one that deserves contemplation and inward searching. Many adults later regret not taking the time to think what they would’ve preferred. It’s common to go with what’s commonly expected without giving it any thought. For this reason, many teens go on to college, not knowing what they want to study, what career path to take, or what interests them.

This makes the 3-week trial an interesting opportunity. Teens can give university life a try. Furthermore, because The University of Phoenix is an online degree program, teens can see what it’s like to be an online college student and what’s required to make it through a completely virtual upper educational experience. Depending on your chosen area of study, there are some campus experiences that The University of Phoenix offers as well. You should know that if you decide to participate in the program and continue with university life, you will be charged for the 3-week experience.

The trial gives a young adult the opportunity to see what college is like. Perhaps after the trial is over, they’ll discover that they wanted to continue with school after all. Or perhaps there will be clear recognition that it’s time to travel instead. Either way, the trial offers the chance to make that decision on your own.