Thoughts for the College-Bound… And the Rest of You, Too!

If you’re in high school, you may be thinking about college right now, with the school year ending and graduation season here. The decision about whether or not to go to college may seem daunting and overwhelming, but today I want to help relieve your mind with some thoughts I have on the subject!

First, I want you to remember that this isn’t a “now or never” kind of deal. If you don’t go to college right away, you have not completely missed your chance! There are many older adults who go back and earn a degree or further their college education, and there are many high school grads who take a “gap year.” So don’t put pressure on yourself thinking that you have to make an official decision about what to do with your adult life at sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen years old and you can’t make it at any other time of your life. There may be benefits of going right away, but just know you don’t have to and there’s the possibility of going later on.

Secondly, you may have it in your head that there are only two options after graduation: college or “entering the workforce.” However, there are more options out there than the two! There are trade schools, for instance, where you can learn a trade, likely spending less time and money there than you would at a college. There are also travel and service options you could look into, joining the military, or getting married and starting a family. Of course, you’ll probably still need to make at least some money for yourself, and all families’ circumstances and rules are different, but there are so many options to look into other than getting a full-time job someplace in your town. You could work from home, start a side hustle, find a job with traveling involved, etc. It’s about what you want to do and what works for you and what you feel led to do!

Next, I want you to really think about why you want to go to college, if you assume you’ll go or plan to go. Is there a career you really want to pursue that you can only achieve through college? Are you mainly interested in the full college experience with the extra stuff that you wouldn’t be able to participate in at a community college? Are you only planning to go because that’s just what you’ve had in your head to do after high school all your life? I think weighing your pros and cons would be a very good idea if you haven’t yet! Write them down and talk them over with a trusted adult or two. Keep in mind what’s most important to you!

To be honest, I personally think it’s not the best idea to go to college if you don’t have interest in it and don’t even know what you would want to go for, or to go just to go. It is costly, and would take up quite a bit of your time. I personally didn’t feel extremely academically-inclined and didn’t like the thought of doing more school if I didn’t have to -though I did well enough in school- and I didn’t want to be a “career woman” and work toward career goals my whole life. However, if you know you want to have a specific career, like becoming a teacher or professional athlete, and are academically-inclined and/or like school, I think if that’s what you want to do, you should go for it! Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem like I’ve been out of high school very long, but if I had gone to a trade school or maybe even college I could be done by now! However, I do not regret my decision not to go to college at all. I’m not in debt, I’m currently working at a job I enjoy, and I have time to do so many other things I love doing! Everyone’s life experiences are different, and that’s ok! It can be hard not to compare your circumstances with others, but I want you to know it’s alright if your life looks different than those around you right now.

Although more could be said on this topic, these are some of the most important points I wanted to share with you today, in an older sisterly sort of way. (-: And although there are pros and cons to anything, and there are many voices around you telling you what you should do with your own life, remember to seek the Lord and His will for you! Praying and reading His Word are the most important things you can do when making little and big decisions in your life. He knows what’s best and wants what’s best for you! He knows better than we do, so we must simply trust Him! If you’re graduating this year, I hope you won’t let all the big decisions you may be facing overwhelm you. You’re young and Lord willing have a lot of life in front of you! Congratulations on your graduation!