The most frequent, most annoying question you hear when you’re entering your senior year in high school:
“So what are you doing when you graduate?”
“Uh…I…well…um…”
Don’t feel too badly, that’s how we reacted too. And you know that geeky guy with the red suspenders and the thick glasses he’s always pushing up his nose? He just made things worse when you overheard his answer:
“Oh, I have a scholarship to attend Genius Engineering School to study Nanotechnology and Engineering Applications. After I graduate with my doctorate, I’ve got a job lined up designing spacecraft engines.”
Yeah, not everyone is like that guy (thankfully not, until red suspenders become a fashion trend). In fact, the average high school senior still has no idea what to do after graduation.
But as much as you hate that question, you know that it’s burning in the back of your mind. What will you do after you graduate? Where will you attend college? You’re trying to sift through the piles of brochures that colleges have been sending you. One college advertises a small, family-like atmosphere. Another college promotes the great resources of a large campus. Another one can’t stop talking about its soft-serve ice cream machines in the dining hall.
To learn about the many college choices, you should start asking questions. And not just if they serve chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Talk with admissions counselors at the school and any people you know who attended that school. Ask if you can talk with professors who teach in fields you’re interested in studying. Inquire about life in the dorms, class sizes, extracurricular activities, costs, and any other topics you can think of. Ask questions specific to your situation. Can you have a car on campus your freshman year?
Think about whether you want to attend school near home or far away. If you attend school near home, you won’t have to pay for room and board and can conveniently study at home. If you attend school far away, you’ll have the chance to be independent and develop skills for living on your own. You’ll learn to live with new people and build friendships with others living far from home.
Surf the internet and read what colleges say about themselves on their websites. Visit sites that review colleges and read what former and current students say about their schools.
So what are you doing after you graduate? Instead of simply being annoyed by this question, take some time to think about what you really want to do.
Continue reading:
