May is graduation time for seniors, which means we have to prepare for to make the biggest decisions of our life. Every decision made holds a high amount of consequence – good and bad of course. Many will go off to college immediately, many others will wait, and some may be undecided. However, no matter where you stand, there is always an option that fits the plan.

   The most important thing to think about is the future – yeah, it’s cliche to hear it, however, what happens after high school really depends on what you want to do with your life. For something that requires years of schooling and experience, like any job in the medical field, or being a lawyer, obviously college is a necessity. But for those who wish for something more artistic, such as being a filmmaker, musician, or painter may not need to attend universities or colleges at all. Think about the profession you want to go into, and do some research about whether or not it requires a degree, or any sort of education. Joining the military out of high school is a very viable option as well, because if you stay for four years, they offer to pay for schooling. Or, you could potentially take a year off, save up some cash by working pretty hard.

   Lawyers, doctors, and any other field that requires years of schooling, also requires years of money. One thing to consider would be to take a year off. Many consider this to be a bad idea – it is feared that that after developing a lifestyle and routine after a year off school, that one may not want to return, or to betray this developed routine. This time off enables people to earn more cash and experience life as a responsible adult before going back. It will help with the amount of debt racked up from college. The most difficult part is staying focused – during this gap year, stay concentrated on school, and focus on earning money to go back, rather than earning money for the sake of earning some cash.

   It really depends on the career. Artists may want to consider how expensive schooling is. Not to say art school isn’t an option, but something that may be helpful is getting a degree in something more sought after, and work on the artistic stuff on the side. This will be helpful when applying for jobs. Most businesses and positions in the workforce do not care about art degrees. Not to say that they aren’t looked for, but a degree in business and background experience in art would be a lot safer.