Dear Captain Oblivious: Life After High School

Dear Captain Oblivious:


Anonymous: I'm going to have to make a huge decision that will change my life forever. I'm just scared that i'm going to pick the wrong major and then I go through college and at the end I realize this is not what I want or I find out that college isn't for me and I went through all of the paying and then I stuck. I don't know I guess I might be freaking out over nothing or I might not be freaking out enough.


Capt. O: It's okay to freak a little out about life after high school. Thinking about the future can be anxiety-ridden and stressful. The key to surviving the future is good planning. Plan now! Life after high school won't be easy because it's something we like to call a rite of passage. It is a transition from adolescence to adulthood. To be perfectly honest, you don't have to go to college. Nowadays, counselors and teachers pressure students to enroll in college because it's the supposed way to success and happiness. Wrong Answer! Many people who attend fail to even graduate. Sadly, those who do finish college, might not even find a good job. Simply put, college doesn't equate to lasting happiness. If you have doubts about college, getting a trade skill is a highly adequate alternative. Current labor forecasts from the U.S. Department of Labor predict that there will be a dramatic rise in demand of skilled labor. This means that with diminishing supply levels and increasing demand, the pay rate will increase to compensate the lack of equilibrium. So this my advice in a nut shell: Engage in activities that you are interested in majoring in, talk to employers about volunteering and internships, fill out at least three university applications, plan to enroll in a community college or trade school if college is not for you, talk with your parents, and create a realistic goal list. Remember in college, you don't have to pick a major right away. You have until your junior year to pick a concentration after taking 2 years of general studies courses.

Growing up isn't easy, but it doesn't have to extremely difficult. Plan, Plan, Plan! Be prepared to leave the comfort zone.

Capt.O