Have you ever really thought about your future? Of course we have dreams for our future and we all imagine it to be exactly how we see it in our heads. In order to reach your dreams, you have to work for it and earn it. For example, have you thought about college? Many people have known where they want to go for college since they were little kids. A lot of other thoughts go into deciding about college. Are you going to go away or stay home? How about how you’re paying for college? Who will you dorm with? What will you major in? There are a lot of things to think about. Some people choose to have a gap year. Which is when you don’t go to college, you instead work for that year and then go to college afterward. 

Going into senior year, you think of all of the events happening throughout the year that you don’t even realize you are about to step outside of that little bubble you were in. 

It’s time to start thinking about what college you want to go to, or what job you want to get. Going to college is beneficial in many ways. College is a good choice in that there is potential for getting a high paying job, lower unemployment rate, better for job applications, stronger career network, etc. A lot of people don’t realize going to college gives you benefits throughout your life. Some may believe college is a waste of time, that you should be partying and having fun, but in the long run college is very beneficial.

There are some risks you need to take to be able to go to college. Depending upon if you want to be local or go away for college, you will have to leave your family, friends, pets, etc. It’s the process of getting to where you want in life. To achieve your goals you need to be able to take chances. If you are someone who has nothing to do with college, then this is for you. First make a guidance counselor appointment and make sure to go over what you want to major/minor in. Your guidance counselor can tell you what schools are best for that major or minor. You will receive your transcript in the mail that will help you determine what colleges you could be most likely accepted into. Then you can go home and ask your parents about what they think. 

Like everything else in the world that is beneficial, there are some disadvantages in going to college. By the time you are getting out of high school you haven’t really experienced the real world. It’s challenging to get used to. But it is not impossible! Taking a big step forward and going to college is going to set you up for reaching your goals. So making this decision is really all about you, and what’s best for you. Make sure when you are making this decision that you choose the right college for you, and not because of family and friends opinions. The college that is best for your friend is most likely not the best college for you. College is very stressful and it’s hard to make such a big decision at a young age. If you take it step by step, the process becomes easier. Make sure you give yourself enough time to figure everything out before it’s too late and you’re stuck applying to any college you could possibly get into. 

Most people that choose not to go to college take what’s called a ¨gap year.¨ If you are someone that is very committed to getting things done, then perhaps you will be fine taking one. Usually a gap year consists of working and getting an apartment. Most times people are working to get money to be able to go to college. On a lot of occasions, people take a gap year and can’t get back into the school everyday routine so they put it off until it’s too late and they are stuck going to college when they are in their 20s. Some people say a gap year was the best decision they could have made and then others believe it was the worst. It’s all about what is best for you based on your ability to be motivated to go back to school if you take a gap year. It could have a positive or a negative decision for you and your career.

Overall, college is a huge decision we have to eventually make at such a young age. Just remember you have to do what is best for you based on your career and what you want to do in your future. Any decision you make, whether it’s to go to college, take a gap year, or simply not go to college at all, as long as it is best for you that’s all that matters.