By: Morgan Kellogg

Often students dread the question, “What are you going to do after school?”. Many of you may have no clue what you want to do when you graduate, because choosing your career can be very tricky. If you are in high school, you need to start thinking about what you want to be and schools you may want to go to.

There are many things you need to consider while thinking about what you want to be, such as what makes you happy, the job demands, and whether you can make a living. You also should decide whether you want to go to a two-year school, a four-year school, or just get basic training and start right into your job.

If you participate in the Career Center, you may already be qualified for a job. Looking for a job in your field may not be as hard as you think. You can begin with talking to your Career Center teacher or a guidance counselor. Most of them could help you decide what specific part of your training you want to do. You could also continue your search online, by simply searching jobs in your field (for example, “welding jobs near me”). Searching your job helps you find websites where you can submit applications for little to no money.

The Squire conducted a poll on Instagram, and it suggested that 88% of those who answered plan to go to college over starting into the workforce. Another poll revealed that 81% of poll participants would rather go to a four-year school over a two-year school. Although they may seem alike, a two-year school and a four-year school are very different.

One of the differences is that a two-year school typically results in an associate’s degree, whereas a four-year school results in a bachelor’s degree. Two-year schools are often offered by community colleges, but four year schools are usually offered at universities. Two-year schools also cost less and take less time to complete.

If you have no clue what you want to do, it’s probably best to start off at a two year school, that way you can complete your general education credits and earn an associate’s degree while you are figuring out what you want to do. Online research suggested that, “Many two-year college graduates transfer to four-year colleges or universities to complete the Bachelor’s Degree in two additional years.” So, in order to answer that dreadful question, ask our guidance counselor, Mrs. Golab, for some informational packets, or do some research online to see the variety of options the world has to offer.