You’re facing a fork in the road.  There are two paths you could take, each with their own unique advances and setbacks.  This isn’t an easy decision, because one route is not significantly better than the other.  So you’re standing there, waiting for a sign, an act of some divine power perhaps; bottom line, you have to decide… and NOW.

This is the time of year where people are tackling the uphill battle of decision making.  Seniors are trying to figure out where they want to live for the next four years and what they want to do.  You could be deciding between two amazing institutions of public or private education, or you could be deciding where you’ll be submitting your work resume and joining the work force straight out of high school.  If you’re worried that you’re going to make the wrong decision, don’t.  Because, no, this is not the part of your life which matters most.  No, you will not be deciding what you’re going to do for the rest of your life in these few shorts months.  Here are some tips to keep in the back of your mind when you feel yourself slipping under the pressure.

1) If you’re going to college, choose a major that grabs your interest, because newsflash!  Only 27% of college graduates actually have a job related to their major.

*Whew* isn’t that a relief?  And 70% of students will change their major, and will change majors at least 3 times before they graduate!

2) Don’t believe that ‘No college, no career’ stigma!  There are no guarantees with a college education, the most it can do for you is that you might have an easier time finding employment, and if you lose your job you’ll have a slightly better chance at finding another.  Never underestimate the quality of a college education, but it’s true what they say, ‘College isn’t for Everybody.’  If you’re over the tests and school related stress then don’t waste your time or money on another four years of your life for it.

3) Three words: Legal… Pad… It.

Break out your handy Ol’ legal pad, put a line down the middle, and figure this out on paper.  What are the setbacks?  What are the advantages?  If you find yourself back where we started, where one option does not outweigh the other… Know yourself.  Then answer this question:

Which choice would ‘better‘ myself?

If you’ve lived in a small town your whole life, experience the city.  If you can’t stand school, go head first into the work force!  If you can’t decide between two people to marry; marry the second one because if you really loved the first, then the second one wouldn’t have been an option.

Always keep in mind that knowing yourself is the key to answering life’s tough decisions.  The imagination is a powerful thing, you have to bring yourself back down to Earth and be able to really see yourself following through with whatever potential decision you make.  Realize your strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly.  Making decisions is a skill, that you fine-tune throughout your life; A skill that essentially ‘makes’ your life.