The transition from school to the next phase is a major change. For years, your path has been laid out for you: attend classes and complete assignments. Now, suddenly, you’re faced with a multitude of choices. It can feel liberating but also incredibly daunting, while the pressure to have everything planned out for the rest of your life lingers constantly.
“We’re told from the minute that we come in here, you need to pick out your classes, and you need to have your career planned out,” said sophomore Landon Marcano. “It just kind of keeps on going back to, you need to have your life figured out, because these classes are going to affect college, and college gives you the degrees.”
Many students often feel pressured by their parents to know exactly what they want to do after school. Times have changed since the last time their parents were in school. When you enter high school, there are many more opportunities to explore. From clubs to AP classes, colleges are now looking for specific things, which raises very high standards among students. When you don’t know what you want to do, these different choices can be very hard decisions to make and can ultimately dictate your future.
“My family is heavy on going to college and getting good grades, but it just depends on what you want,” said sophomore Catherine Lebui.
The question of “What do you want to do after school?” is one that many students struggle to answer. According to Moneypenny, only 8% of Americans went on to achieve their dream job after high school. Many people between the ages of 18–24 stated that their biggest obstacles were either financial restraints or the fear of failure. Failure and not knowing whether you are going to succeed in life or have to start all over can be really scary. The people around you can sound so prepared for the future, but the final decision comes down to you and doing what you feel is best.
“Everybody in my grade right now, they’re all talking about college and how applications are opening, and they just want to apply,” said junior Irene Espiricueta. “It scares me, but not really, because I don’t really know if I want to go to college.”
Throughout the years, we have always been told that the reason we go to school and do well is to get into college. Many talk about how college will help you become successful and open you to a variety of opportunities, but no one ever talks about the other options available. The trades involve skilled manual labor that you can go into right after high school. This could include plumbing, electrical work, and other essential, in-demand jobs. Another option we don’t hear much about is the military. The military has many different branches you can join, offers strong benefits, and gives you the chance to serve your country.
If college does not feel like the outcome you want, there are many options you can explore. There is always something out there that you can do and succeed in.
