Have you ever thought about if you’re going to college or if you’re going to get a job after highschool? Let’s discuss the pros and cons of both. There is no right or wrong way, it’s all a personal choice!

First, we are going to start with the pros of getting a job after high school. By getting a job after high school you can earn money instead of spending it. Unless you’ve been offered a scholarship, then you or your family are going to have to pay for college. If you get a job right after high school you won’t have to pay for college and instead, you will earn money. You can put more thought into your future career. When you get to college you have to decide on a major field to study and not many of us really know what we want to study right then. Taking free time off of school to really think about it will help you. You can decide if school is the right path for you. Some people like working more than going to school and decide to just not go to college at all. You can also always change your mind later and attend college. You can learn new skills. No matter what your first job is, even if it seems super boring you are most likely going to pick up skills that you didn’t have before. These skills could probably help you in the future and at whatever career it is that you choose to have. You can gain independence. At a job you are responsible for yourself and doing your part. Nobody is there to remind you what to do and how to do it. This is a great way to prepare for the future and college, if you decide to go.

Now, let’s discuss the cons. You have limited job options. Jobs such as construction don’t require anything more than on-the-job training, but most high paying jobs require some type of a degree. You’ll miss out on the college experience. You can learn a lot of things in college and meet new people and overall it is a very fun experience that everyone should have. You’ll probably have a very busy schedule since you’ll be working a lot in order to pay bills and you won’t really have a lot of time to yourself.

Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of getting a job after high school, let’s discuss the pros and cons of going to college. Let’s start with the pros. You’ll have increased job opportunities. Most high-paying jobs require some form of college education or a type of degree. You’ll also gain a better education. Yes, high school does teach us stuff but going to college can help us get an even better education and teach us more important stuff. Going to college will force you to get outside of your comfort zone and push your boundaries. College requires us to get out of our comfort zone and push our boundaries especially when it comes to trying to get a degree in the career we want. New experiences! College has some pretty cool experiences that most people would enjoy, such as living in dorms, joining a club or getting involved on campus, attending sport events, taking a class or two just because it sounds interesting, making new friends, and more! College is a great way to discover your interests. Going to college could lead you to discovering a new interest you didn’t know you had or being interested in something that you usually wouldn’t like. Now for the cons. Stress. A lot of it. If you think high school is stressful then multiply that by two. In college you have to study more, do more homework, and pay more attention. You’ll have to pay debt/ student loans. You’re not guaranteed a graduate job. Just because you graduate with a degree doesn’t always mean you’re going to get a good job. Graduating with a degree can’t guarantee that you actually have basic human wisdom about how to operate in a workplace. You’ll be committing at least 4 years of your life to college. You have to stay committed to college for at least 4 years if you actually want to accomplish what you want to do in life.

Now that you have reviewed the pros and cons of going to college after high school or choosing a trade and going to work, which of these options appeals to you the most? Better yet, why not choose the best of both worlds? You could always work on a trade while attending college. Keep in mind that some careers require a degree. Please remember that whatever choice you make, it will greatly affect your future. High school years are the years where we make some of the most important decisions of our lives.  Think wisely and have fun doing it!