Home sweet home… but the next chapter will begin soon! (Photo used with permission by Caroline Hughes)

As a senior in high school, the lingering question is always, “What do you plan to do next year?” As considerate as that comes across, adults going out of their way to ask about you, some seniors find that question terrifying. There are a lot of important things to think about when deciding what college to go to. 1. The location, whether you want to go far or close, and more importantly, you have to be in tune with how independent/dependent you really are. 2. Your major, does the school provide good programs to match your specific career? 3. And cost, what is your price range, and how are scholarships helping that?

Some seniors know their exact major, or they know what college they are going to and some are even committed to athletics at the ripe age of 15. No one talks about the seniors who don’t have everything planned out just yet. I want to reassure you that it is okay not to have everything planned out. I am 17 years old, I graduate high school in a few months,, and I don’t know what school I am going to or what my major will end up being. I don’t know if I want to continue athletics in college or just go to study. With all this said, some advice I have for you to consider is what you want fornt for  yourself.

Number 1.

Identify your values. List five things you absolutely value. For example, solid faith, a fun marriage, being financially sound, a purposeful career, etc. This allows you to see what truthfully matters to you, and what is important to your future self.

Number 2.

Predecide what you never want in life. You never want to be a teacher? You never ever want to carry credit card debt? Predecide what you will never ever do, and what line you never want to cross.

Number 3.

Measure the cost of your decisions. Sit with your decisions and evaluate the cost of your choices, especially the big ones. How is this decision helping you, and is it driving you closer to the most successful future, or is it not?

Write these down, look at them, and you will start to understand yourself. I think understanding yourself is the most important part of deciding on what college to pick. By doing this exercise, I’ve realized that I want to continue some sort of athletics in college. I’ve figured out I want to go into the medical field, and, more specifically, look into medical doctors who focus on the physical and medical complications associated with eating disorders. I’ve imagined myself ending up at either SDSU or UNL. To go into what I want to become, I figured I must complete a bachelor’s degree, a four-year medical school program, and a three-year pediatric residency. My future might be edited a little along the way, but the process of picking a college is more than a major, cost, and location. Try to become in tune with yourself like never before, and if you are an underclassman with a bunch of time, grab a pencil and paper and write down five things you value; your future self will thank you.