It is normalized that seniors and juniors in high school are supposed to start thinking and making decisions of what they want to do in their future.

Kids that are at the age of 18 or 19 choosing a career barely even know what careers they want. 

Something that is important to choosing a college or something to do after graduating high school is what is best for you. 

Teenagers are at the highest risk for stress, anxiety and depression. Having to choose what you are wanting to spend the rest of your life doing is one thing, but doing it under stress and more makes it even harder. The brain doesn’t even develop until around the age of twenty to twenty-five.

There are stereotypes that people shouldn’t change their career paths because you are just putting yourself in more debt. On average there are still people changing their career paths more than three times. 

Even though it is hard to choose what you want to do after high school, it is important to continue to look. Gap years for students can be a very beneficial time to take and do research but can also trap you in a situation where you don’t want to go back to college. It is harder to take a gap year after high school but it is not the worst thing if you are still looking. 

It is important to do your research and weigh out the pros and cons and make sure that it is worth your time and the money. 

Debt is always looked at in a negative way. We as a society have normalized debt, whether it be college, household, credit card or any other debt. It is important to come up with a plan once you’ve decided what you want to do and how much money it will cost you. 

I think that we should normalize taking a gap year or a couple years to figure out what you want to do in your future. It doesn’t necessarily save time but it could definitely save your money if you change your mind halfway through or maybe after you graduate.