As we near the end of the school year, many seniors are facing the question we must all answer- what’s next? By the fourth quarter of the fourth year of high school, many seniors have a pretty good idea of what they’re planning to do after they graduate, but the real question they should be answering is, are they ready? 

After four years of going to high school, most students have a routine and system that they’re used to; after all, it’s helped them make it this far. But, life after high school is drastically different than anything they’ve experienced the past 18 years. 

For instance, the majority of seniors still live with their parents, but after they graduate there’s a good chance that they will be moving out and leaving the nest. Many parents give their kids chores growing up so they gain some knowledge of what it’s like to take care of themselves, but they’ll never truly know the true meaning of ‘independence’ until they’re completely living on their own without their parents just down the hallway to help them or pick up some of their slack. 

Though many high school students have part time jobs to earn their own money, there are some that have never had a job in their lives. Students that get jobs at a younger age have been proven to learn how to deal with more responsibility and better time management. Those that never had to experience the pressures of balancing school on top of a job on top of any extracurriculars they may do, may have a bit harder time adjusting to college life. 

On top of all the extras that college throws at us, there’s also the fact of college itself being much different than high school. In high school, we come to school at the same time every day, and leave on schedule, like clockwork. But in college, everything is different. College students don’t necessarily have a ‘set schedule’, but it’s a little more all over the place. Some could have one class per day and work more hours at a job or play a sport, while others are attending four or five classes and possibly work night shifts. Or some may have the whole package, do multiple classes per day, while also playing a sport and holding a part time job. 

Some students have decided to take a different route and chosen to not even go to college, but instead go straight into the workforce. Most of these students already have a current job where they’ll simply pick up more hours, or a full-time job in mind for after they finish school. 

Of course, we can’t forget about those who, instead of those options, are going into the military. Some may choose to go full time military and be shipped out to another state or even country, while others may be a part of the ‘reserves’, where they are enlisting because the military will help pay for their college tuition, so they’re part-time military and part-time student. 

Whatever path a student may choose to take, many of them are not truly prepared for what’s to come. High school may teach us where to locate elements on the periodic table, how to find X when given a graph or equation, and who started the first world war, but for the majority of us, we’re not really going to use that in the ‘real world’. There should be more classes teaching us more about how to manage student loans, open and properly use a credit card, or how to make a meal plan to better save money on food. 

May 21, 2022, seniors will walk across the stage, officially closing out their high school career. As they prepare to accept their diploma, they may say they’re ready to get out of high school and be done with it, they’re not truly ready and/or prepared for what comes after- life.