Gen Z chooses TikTok over college: A bold move or an opportunity?

In an era where a university degree is still a "passport" to enter life, rejecting this door to pursue a new path like livestreaming on TikTok makes many people wonder: Is it youthful rashness, or a courageous step in the digital age?

The Gen Z girl who grew up with social media sites

Nguyen Yen belongs to the Gen Z generation, which grew up with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and social media. After graduating from high school, the Gen Z girl faced a choice: continue her education like everyone else, or take a different path that she herself had not yet determined the destination. And Yen chose the second option - full of risk but also full of hope.

No college choice, not an easy decision

Nguyen Yen did not choose university like her peers.

Not going to university was not because Yen was not capable, but because she did not find interest and motivation in the university environment. Nguyen Yen wanted to jump into real life early, wanted to challenge herself with the real world instead of sitting in class studying things she was not really passionate about.

At that time, not knowing what she would do, she tried many jobs: serving in a coffee shop, selling online, running errands. Adult life was not as rosy as she imagined - tiring, disappointing and sometimes lost. But it was that collision that helped the girl gradually understand more about herself, about what she wanted to pursue.

Enter TikTok and start from zero

One day, Yen happened to watch a friend's livestream on TikTok. She shared honestly, without embellishment or tricks - but received a lot of love and suddenly thought: "Why don't I try?"

Entering TikTok from zero to an admirable number of followers

June 2024, the first livestream began. At that time, the account only had 700 followers, and a few views. No one knew who Yen was, nor did anyone care what she was saying. But the little girl still went live regularly - a little bit every day, like a habit.

After much perseverance, Yen learned to interact more naturally, tell stories from her own experiences, listen to the viewers' confidences, and most importantly, always be sincere. No tricks, no acting, just wanting to connect with real people - with her true self.

Define your style and build your personal brand

Yen does not advocate dropping out of college, but success is not one-size-fits-all.

Not going to college doesn't mean stopping learning. Nguyen Yen self-studied communication skills, researched how to create content, optimized broadcast times, and paid attention to every camera angle, lighting, and speech.

She now doesn't want to just become a "TikTok idol" for a moment, but wants to build a sustainable personal brand - someone who inspires people to live authentically, think authentically, and do authentically. Each livestream is not only about interaction, but also about sharing, encouraging, and helping viewers feel connected.

Now, TikTok is not just a platform, but a "stage" where that girl can express herself, share values and create a warm little community.

"Choose differently - succeed in your own way"

Yen has succeeded on the path she chose with TikTok

Many people used to say that Yen was "reckless", even "foolish" to drop out of university. But now, looking back on her journey of nearly a year, she believes that choice was the right one - for herself.

Yen does not advocate that everyone should drop out of college. Everyone has their own circumstances and path. But if you are standing between choices, I hope you are sober enough to listen to yourself. There is no general formula for success. Whether you go to college or not, the important thing is that you dare to learn from life, dare to try, dare to make mistakes and keep moving forward.

Nhi0611- GenZ does livestreaming with kindness Phương Mai10:12:22 15/04/2025Not flashy, not noisy, Nhi's livestreaming journey is simple and rustic like her personality - sincere, kind and always devoted to the audience.