Deciding on a career path can be a daunting task for any high school student. High school juniors and seniors are constantly asked about their plans for the future. Being unable to answer this question can create fear and anxiety. These decisions can be made easier by taking two major steps before your senior year to curb the pressure.
The first step to making decisions about your future is knowing what interests you. Having a vague idea about what you enjoy can alleviate some of the pressure. The career tests available to students through the Bank of North Dakota ask simple questions and pair students with their top career groups and even specific jobs within each group. This really helps highlight specific interests and skills, as well as what jobs are available.
Looking into colleges early can also help reduce anxiety. College tours are easy to schedule and many colleges offer meetings with the financial aid office during the tour. Figuring out financial aid is an important issue for many students. Scholarship money is incredibly helpful for so many students and it is important to take advantage of all opportunities to get extra aid.
An abundance of scholarships are available from different service organizations, electric cooperatives and even through banks and credit unions. These scholarships will help tremendously with the costs of college, which helps to reduce some of the underlying anxiety.
Not every student is going to pursue a four-year degree. For many students, trade school is a great option and allows them to join the workforce with minimal debt. And career planning can help students decide which is best: the workforce, trade school or college.
College planning doesn’t have to be stressful. There are ways to decrease the stress of senior year, while still laying the foundation for achieving your future dreams.
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Edyth Hatlestad, 18, is a senior at Shiloh Christian High School, Bismarck, where she is involved in basketball, volleyball, speech, the musical, Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, National Honor Society, band and choir. She enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, traveling and working out. Edyth is the daughter of Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative members D.J. and Missy Hatlestad.
