College preparations can look like a daunting task to high school juniors. Graduation feels so far away, but everyone is pushing you to start looking into schools and make bigger decisions. Many different opinions make it hard to know where to start. Everyone seems to have an idea about what you should be doing. However, the only way to make an informed decision is to step back and look at what will work for you.
College planning can find its start in a counselor’s office. Counselors have resources and connections to help point kids in the direction of schools, scholarships, and programs best suited to their interests and needs. There is some footwork required on the student’s part to ensure they are not going into a meeting flying completely blind. Having a general idea of major or realm of interest helps narrow the search for counselors trying to assist.
Lots of kids have dreams of specific carriers from their younger years. When faced with real future planning, a lot of those ideas will come into question. It is important to ask yourself questions when considering a major. How much schooling will this take? Where are the good programs? What is the acceptance rate of those programs, and what does it take to get in? And the most important question of all, ‘Can I truly see myself doing this?’
Liking the idea of a career and enjoying the work are two different things. If it is a career accessible to you, try to do a job shadow. But even looking up the job details online can help. The phrase ‘what does a ___ do?’ warrants you results on almost any career path you are considering. It is also worth considering narrowing down a broad job. You will have to whittle your ideas down at some point in your college career, and going into it with specifics can help you in that process.
Having a major in mind leads naturally to the question of where to go to school? It is important to look at all of your interests, not just your major, when considering a school. Sure, a larger school may have a more recognized program for your field, but is it going to be worth the larger class sizes and bigger campus? You may be drawn to a private school, but can you cover the cost without going into more debt than your potential salary can handle? College visits and basic searching for what real students have to say can guide you through the maze of schools that vy for every student’s attention.
The planning and decisions can feel enormous, so sometimes it helps to remember that you can change your major. You can go into college undeclared. One-third of college students will change their major in their first 3 years. As much as 50% of all American college students go to college with an undeclared major. Not knowing what you want to do is as common as knowing. Much of life after high school is finding out what works for you. MCHS alumni Ben Siglin, a freshman at Mankato State, says that the most important advice he could give is to ‘not force life’. He says ‘It’s okay not to go to college. And if you don’t go, you don’t have to have a plan. Set your own personal goals, analyze what steps you need to take to meet them, and then take the steps as they come naturally.’
College, and simply life beyond high school, can feel like an insurmountable wall. Do not be afraid to not know. Break down the task, ask for help. Most of all, do not let all of the other voices drown out your own, because you are the one who will be living your life. You should enjoy every step of it.