National College Decision Day is right around the corner, and as exciting as that may be some, for others, it's purely terrifying for others. The transition between irrelevant decisions and seemingly life-altering ones is almost non-existent. Before you know it you go from picking a prom dress to deciding on a college. These decisions matter and it can extremely hard to start making decisions without the constant guidance of our parents. Here are 10 of most important things to remember as you start making these decisions:
1. Follow your gut.
99.9% of the time, you know what the right decision is. Take the time, without others influence, to evaluate how you actually feel. If no one else was involved, what would you decide? You should be most confident in yourself.
2. Sometimes your parents don't know best...but most of the time they do.
Parents know you better than anyone else and considering they are older and wiser, they have a good amount of reason to influence your decisions. Unfortunately, college decision time is filled with emotions and sometimes the wrong advice is given. Remember to talk through your choices with your parents and convey why you made them. Misunderstandings lead to arguments.
3. Set your passions apart.
By nature, humans are passionate people. Don't ignore your passions. College and life for that matter is hard. Pursuing the aspects of your life that you're passionate about will ultimately lead to long-term happiness.
4. Ignore your friend's opinions.
Someone once reminded me of a quote that stated that, "people will always want to see you do well, but not better than them". As harsh as it sounds, this too is human nature, your friends are going to have their own motives and their own reasons for giving opinions. Try to keep perspective when listening to why they feel a certain way. Keep in mind that you're a different person than them with different goals.
5. Don't be afraid to abandon the comfort zone.
High school is one huge bubble. It can be so easy to get stuck in a rut of comfort. There are few times in our lives that allow us to completely start over. If following a dream means taking a risk, you should do it. Who knows what will come out of it?
6. Do your research.
This is huge. As boring as it sounds, reading about Universities, jobs, internships or even other people is instrumental in making wise decisions. It's impossible to make good decisions without being well informed. Save yourself the wasted time and money of any bad choice and do your homework.
7. Listen to those that came before you.
The best judge of an experience is someone who is going through it currently. Talking to friends, visiting schools and listening to other's testimony is so helpful. Before making a big decision, take a moment to walk in those shoes. Can you see yourself there?
8. Make your happiness a priority.
Feelings are a real thing. Being able to distinguish between anxiety and excitement is a must. The feeling you get in the presence of the right decisions should not be ignored.
9. Don't feel the need to rush into a decision.
Regardless of the span, your friends make decisions in, don't feel compelled to follow suit. Take as much time as you need to make the best choice you can. Rushing into something for all the wrong reasons is exactly how you get yourself in trouble.
10. Don't forget that it's pretty tough to mess up permanently.
99% of the time any decision can be undone. There is almost always a way out. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whatever you choose to do after high school is a huge transition, rely on your support team and understand that mistakes are a part of life.
Picking your college is the first of a good amount of hard decisions. The first few months of at school are filled with life tests and the restructuring of your morals. Try and follow what seems right and remember that you only get to "do college" once, put yourself in the best position possible to do it well. Also, try and maintain a perspective. Very few choices you make today are going to influence your life longterm, putting too much pressure on yourself now will lead to endless uncertainty.
