Prepared Does Not Look the Same For All

Children need guidance in life to be successful. It is definitely important to think about and prepare for the future after high school. I believe that you should at least have an idea of what you want your occupation to be by the time you are a senior in high school. That being said, there is nothing wrong with taking a gap year to work, travel, or discover things because it’s important to not live too fast and enjoy moments. If you focus too much on the future too early, or if the family is pressuring a child to prioritize the future, it could incentivise or cause disinterest in the field that child is going into. That stress could be hard on a person mentally.

As a young student, my family assumed that I would go off to college after high school. It was not one specific discussion, but I knew that my parents wanted me to be successful in life. That said, they did not pressure me to necessarily choose one specific path. The fact that they let me pursue my own interests definitely allowed me to explore what I wanted to do after high school with a broad lens. I remember hearing some other students worrying about getting into a “good” prep school to hopefully be accepted into a “good” college. Now I do see first hand the college frenzy of senior year. With everything else to navigate as a young adult, sometimes this seems extra stressful.

When I started high school I had naturally developed some interests and had an idea of what I wanted to do later on in life. The four year college path did not seem like the best choice for me. I figured out that I really liked working with my hands and I had a liking for the outdoors, so I was thinking about going into carpentry or residential plumbing. When I heard about LRTC I was immediately interested, and I took a tour of the potential classes I was going to take. A few months later I received a letter back from Lewiston telling me I was accepted to the Carpentry/ Construction program, and by the start of my junior year, I was gaining valuable skills that gave me enough real world training, which led me to a full-time summer job as a carpenter.

While planning and guidance are important, not everyone’s end result will or should look the same. Some children as young as grade school seem to know that the path to success is to be college bound. This does not necessarily ring true for all. I am fortunate that my family understands and supports the importance of trade work, just as much as a college degree. If I had been pushed too far in the direction of college, I may have been deterred from bettering myself. Some people work best under pressure, but the frenzy of college applications and essays along with the long senior year checklist could turn some people off. Because I was able to explore options and change my mind, I feel that my path is a positive choice for me. 

“Fake diploma” by gadgetdude is licensed under CC BY 2.0.