Graduates must decide what comes next

The time of year is quickly approaching where senior high school students will be faced with a brand new challenge; moving on.

Students who attend school from kindergarten through 12th grade have spent 13 consecutive years of their lives predominately in one area.

In my case all I had to do at Curry to switch between the elementary, middle and high schools was cross the street.

These students are now faced with the prospect of moving away from home for the first time, whether to continue their education in college, find work or join the military.

This is a daunting task to the many young people who graduate each year, but I am here to tell you that there is light at the end if the tunnel.

Those of you that will attend college to continue your education will eventually finish, though it may not seem like it at times.

People with a Bachelor’s Degree tend to earn more money per year than those who do not have one, and in my case having that piece of paper made finding a job a lot easier. That and my professional connections, but that’s another topic for another day.

To those who will look for a job or join the military, these are also fine choices, so long as you have decided which course to take for the right reasons.

Moving away from home isn’t so bad, but rest assured you will have to learn some new responsibilities and time management skills.

Your mom won’t be there every morning to get you out of bed before school, and believe me when I say that college professors do not like excessive absences.

You will also have to learn to budget your time, because whether you find a full-time job or go to college, you will have to do a lot of things in a seemingly short amount of time.

Whatever path you take, so long as it is the right one for you, stick with it. Once you get used to the new responsibilities, college and full-time employment are not so bad.

Although in the case of employment, it helps to like your line of work.