Your college decision isn't the biggest decision of your life—here's why
You’ve stressed over your college decision.
Your parents have stressed over your college decision. You’ve done all the things, seen all of the campuses, and checked all of the boxes.
You’re worried about whether you’ve got it “right.” It feels like the rest of your life is resting on your shoulders.
And while you want to be intentional about which school you invest in, it’s important to reframe this decision.
Your college decision is a decision; it’s not the decision. All decisions impact our course in life, but they don’t make or break our lives—not even this one. AND if you “choose wrong” you can transfer. Between 15-40% of students transfer after their first semester or year.
Here are three tips to help you make the best decision you can. That’s all we can do in each moment because this life and ourselves are ever-evolving.
Remember your strengths. While being good in math class is great to notice, it’s hard to tell if it was the teacher or if there was a part of the class that was in tune with your strengths. Understand your strengths by taking this quick assessment.
Use your resources. Once you know your strengths, research how you can use those strengths in your life—whether as a career or as a hobby. If you want to use your strengths in your career and apply them to your college major, start double checking your college choices to ensure they have resources that fit your strengths.
Remember how it felt. This is perhaps the most underrated checkbox of all college searches, but it is key to remember how it felt to be at the campus. If you got to visit the campus, how did you feel while you were there? If you got to speak to an alumni or a career counselor, how did you feel while talking to these people? The vibe you felt is just as important as the academics and extracurriculars.
Most importantly, we must remember that we are ourselves wherever we go. If we’re happy and well adjusted and thriving now, there’s a good chance we’ll keep doing that in college, no matter which college we choose. If you’re struggling now, that struggle isn’t just going to vanish when you leave high school, so be sure to address anything now before you go off on your own and use the resources available to you once you get to college.
If you feel like you're struggling, it isn't shameful. Ask for help. We are here for you.