When we were young, all of our friends wanted to be astronauts, rock stars, or cowboys. Throughout the years, though, these answers kept changing; from lawyers to doctors to teachers, most of us simply couldn’t decide where our place is in the world. However, as high school students, we are now under the pressure of deciding exactly what will be our future paths. Hardly any time passes before we are yet again reminded that the next few years will be gone in the blink of an eye, and we will have to take the next big step of our lives. For many, these reminders cause us to enter a state of panic: how can we decide if we have so much left to experience? Though choosing paths may seem stressing and difficult, getting an idea of what your future holds is important for students to succeed and one day become contributing members of society.

Many students simply get by high school by taking the required classes and acquiring the minimum amount of credits to graduate. Consequentially, these students often end up lost when they step foot outside of school grounds. It is, however, not uncommon for people to switch their majors multiple times throughout their years in college. Yet, this poses extremely damaging setbacks: not only does it affect the student when they graduate, but it also wastes a lot of money on the new classes required for that major. It is no surprise to anyone that throwing away hundreds – possibly thousands – of dollars to change majors is not ideal, to say the least. Going into college with a clear plan of what classes to take and how to work towards a degree is a simple way to save money for the other expenses in life.

Staying in college for too long can also have a major impact on the years following graduation. The market these days calls for young people who are buzzing with new ideas and the energy to make those ideas into a reality. Yet, many companies also want experienced employees who have already had a taste of what it is like to be in that field. High school, of course, is the perfect time for teenagers to begin looking further into a career path by taking courses in areas of interest and possibly applying for internships or jobs in those work fields. In contrast, students who do not prepare for their future also do not experience what it is like to work in a profession until much later in their lives. When they do finally get their feet in the water, it can be a lot more difficult to adjust at the pace that companies and work offices demand.

Just about everyone has been told to ‘live in the moment’ and ‘enjoy these four years of high school because they can go by fast,’ but that is also the exact reason why we should begin to plan for the future now. As teenagers, we sometimes think that we are not ready to call a final verdict on our future, but making the right decision can be so beneficial in the long run. Yes, sometimes it may feel like high school will never end, but there is so much out there in the world to prepare and look forward to, so the time to start is now.