The transition from high school to after is one of the scariest things any adolescent can experience. In my high school, you were given two choices: college or workforce. If you chose college, there were a plethora of expensive and stressful choices! And if not, you can always work.

Oh, you want more information about the work part? There is not any. These are the expectations we were given growing up. No one really stops and asks what we want: they only provide what they think will be right, but that format does not fit everybody. As a society, we have become conditioned to select one or the other. 

Two years ago, my plans were completely different from where I am now. I only made it through one semester of film school before I dropped out and worked for a year to save some money and figure out what I actually want to do with my life. That was one of the best choices I have ever made. Everyone is different and no path will ever be the same. Some people are meant to travel and experience the world, some are meant for a steady college life and degrees and some are wired to work hard and earn a living. Especially with the internet, the world is wide and never-ending.

  Figuring it all out at seventeen is just unrealistic, and it is not shameful to admit that. Hopefully, in the future, there will be less pressure around figuring out your life, and instead on  honing in on what you love and how you can achieve contentment. I mean, is that not  what this life should really be about, finding joy and love? I do not believe that the “traditional route” is for everyone, or even for the majority. What adults tell us is right is only coming from their experiences, and in the ‘80s and ‘90s, things looked a lot different than they do now. I am not advising anyone to throw all authority out the window, because some ideas are good. However, it is not a terrible thing to take a road that looks different from others.

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