Many highschool seniors at the moment are specializing in what they’ll do after graduation — or they do not know what’s coming.
Families attempting to guide and support these students through a significant life transition are also prone to feel overwhelmed by the wide-open possibilities, from starting at an ordinary four-year college to not attending college in any respect.
i Be a mental health counselor and professor of psychology.
Here are 4 suggestions to assist make the choice about what comes after highschool a bit of easier for everybody involved:
1. Shadow someone with a job you wish
I actually have worked with many college students who’re keen on a selected profession path, but should not acquainted with the day-to-day operations of the job.
A parent, teacher, or other adult in the coed’s life can connect them with someone whose job they shadow, even for a day, so the coed can higher understand what the job entails.
High school students might also find that interviewing someone who works in a selected field is one other helpful method to narrow down profession path options, or finalize their college decisions.
Research published in 2025 shows High school students who complete an internship They are higher able to make a decision whether certain careers are a very good fit for them.
2. Look on the number
Full-time students pays anywhere about us4,000 for in-state tuition on a Public State School from per semester Just shy of 50,000 per semester at a personal college or university. Average annual cost Tuition alone at a public college or university in 2025 is $10,340, while the common private school costs $39,307.
Tuition It is increasingalthough the expansion rate has slowed in the previous few years.
About 56% of 2024 college graduates took loans Paying for school.
Concerns about college affordability often provide you with clients who’re deciding whether or to not pursue a level. Research has shown This financial stress and debt burden has led to a rise in students dropping out of faculty.
For some students it might be helpful to have a look at tuition costs and Project what their monthly student loan payments are Given the salary range expected in a selected profession, the identical can be true after graduation. Financial planning can even help students consider the professionals and cons of public, private, community colleges, or vocational schools.
Even with planning, there isn’t any guarantee that students will give you the chance to land a job of their desired field, or quickly earn what they hope for. No matter how prepared students could also be, they have to recognize that there are still aspects beyond their control.
Klaus Weidefelt/Royalty Free
3. Normalize other sorts of schools
I actually have noticed that some students feel that they need to attend a four-year college after graduation due to their families’ expectations. Some students and oldsters view a four-year college as more prestigious than a two-year program, and consider it’s more helpful when it comes to long-term profession growth.
However, it is just not the proper fit for everybody.
Enrollment in trade-oriented schools About 20% increase from spring 2020 to 2025, and now comprise 19.4% of public two-year college enrollment.
Attending a trade school or earning a two-year associate’s degree can put students on a direct path to getting a job in a single. Technical arearesembling becoming a registered nurse or an electrician.
But there are also reasons for college kids to think twice about trade schools.
In some cases, trade Schools are for-profit institutions And has been the goal of a federal investigation for wrongdoing. Some of those schools have been fined and Forced to close.
Still, it will be important for college kids to make a decision which path is best for them personally.
Research has shown that job satisfaction has a positive effect on mental health, and is higher than having an extended history with a profession field. Level of job satisfaction.
4. Consider a niche 12 months before closing the concept
One strategy that prime school graduates have used lately is taking a 12 months off between highschool and college to raised determine what’s the proper fit for the coed. approx 2% to 3% of high school graduates Take a niche 12 months – normally first Going to get admission in college.
Some young people may travel, volunteer, or during a niche 12 months Get a job In their hometown
Whatever the explanation for college kids’ gap years, I’ve found that the time advantage may be useful in some situations. Leadership has also been shown in taking a 12 months off before starting college For better academic performance In college