Most grade-schoolers intently dream about the day they will walk across the stage on commencement day and receive their diplomas. They are under the impression they will be free from all work in their life, and be able to finally live. When they get to high school, they soon realize the biggest decisions in their life will soon be made and their work has just begun. A person graduating from high school can take many directions in life, most graduates either dorm at college, commute to college, or begin working.

To begin with, many graduates run from their parents and desire to go to college as far away from home as possible. When graduates move away, they get their first taste of living away from home which brings added responsibilities. Cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry are a few examples of how college students have to learn to provide for themselves. College students who move away have to build relationships and meet new people; these new friends can take them down paths they should not go. Such as a college student who starts partying and getting into sinful acts, their mom is not there to scold them. Also, earning a college degree gives a person greater earning potential and the ability to work in the field of their choice. A person majoring in marine biology will find a job in marine biology because they went to college for it because it is what they enjoy doing. Going away to college can be a wonderful time for a person to mature and start their adult life, but it can also give a person the opportunity to go downhill in life decisions.

Another decision a person may choose after graduating high school is commuting to college. Commuting is not a possibility for everyone graduating high school because of location, but can be a great opportunity for those who are in drivable distance to a college. Living with parents and driving to college can save a college student money because they do not have to pay to dorm. Staying with parents means mom is still around to provide home cooked meals and life does not dramatically change from high school. A commuting college student can stay under the wing of their parents for longer, such as getting their parents to continue to pay for groceries and other necessities of life. A commuting college student can easily stay in touch with high school friends and can also make new ones in college. The influence of peer pressure is not as great to a commuting student because they will not be on campus on the weekends unless they choose to be. Commuting to college can be a great way to save money, while still earning a college degree.

Last, many high school graduates decide not to strive for a college degree and join the work force right after graduating. Choosing not to further education past high school doesn’t give a person the earning potential a college graduate has by graduating from college, although they will also not incur school debt. This means they will not be forced to pay back expensive school loans and will be able to have more financial freedom in the short term. A person joining the work force has the ability to stay in touch with friends in the area they live in and can either live at home for a few years after graduating or find their own place to reside. Joining the work force out of high school is a great option for some people who choose to do so but is not the best plan for those who want to further their education.

A persons decision about what they will do after high school, weather it is going away to college, commuting to college or joining the work force, will affect them the rest of their life. A lot of thought and prayer should go into any decision, especially those which will affect a person for the rest of their life. In the end, if a person follows what they believe God wants them to do it will end up the way God wants it.