Around this time of year, many high school seniors are making big life decisions regarding plans for the following year.  While many end up choosing the university or four year college route, many students feel as though they cannot take an alternate route.

Many have expressed this pressure from many different aspects of life: parents, teachers, counselors, and even friends. Whether it be majoring in a specific field or picking a specific school, this time of year brings a lot of stress to seniors.

Not only do students feel pressured in these ways, but also when it comes to the type of education they will receive.

A university experience is not for everyone. There are many options like community college, technical schools, and trade schools. Educators and parents need to be showing students these options at an earlier stage of learning so they can be prepared for their senior year.

One option is not universally better than the other, and expressing a non bias to students could offer better opportunities to students in their life post-high school.

Many resources exist on the internet to help students navigate their way through the post secondary education process, such as missouriconnections.org.

Pressuring teenagers to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college education that they do not want could put a whole generation in debt. Plus, there is always possibility of changing majors which adds to the original cost.

Overall, society needs to take a step back from putting such a large emphasis on one specific option, when every student is different, hence the different options. Giving students resources and showing them that just because they do not know exactly what they want to do for a career is okay.

For more information on education options after high school, visit the Timberland High College & Career Counseling website.