You move your tassel from left to right, and on the count of three, there goes your hat flying into the air. You graduated high school, and college is a big window that is full of opportunities. You are officially ready to go out into the world and follow your dreams, right? Well, not exactly. This article is going to express my thoughts about far-reaching goals and my dreams, but while you want to follow your dreams, the world isn't perfect. You need to follow your dreams while keeping in mind practicality.

For those of you that have read my previous articles, you know that I was a theatre kid. For those of you who are just tuning in, I did theatre in high school. Honestly, I didn't do theatre for three years just because I needed an extracurricular. I love dramatic acting and, to a lesser extent, singing. I would love nothing more than to continue doing these things that I love as my profession, don't get me wrong. But I'm simply stating a fact: the theatre/music industry is a very fickle industry.

Thousands of college students have theatre as their major, and while I do respect them for following their dreams, it seems they've lost their sense of practicality. People in theatre or music-related majors believe that they are going to make it big once their college years are over. Unfortunately, that's not the reality.

There is a very slim chance that right out of college you will make it big. I swear I'm not being pessimistic, that's just what it is. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, it's a well-known fact.

Also, before I continue, I'd like to clarify that I'm not simply bashing theatre/music majors, which is probably what it sounds like, but I'm merely talking about that specific major due to the fact that I have seen both the cause and result of such a pursuit. I worked with a theatre company at Felician, and these actors work their asses off to pursue their dreams. It's not easy. You're not just going to get handed stardom.

I'd also like to say that I'm not telling you to ignore your dreams, you have every right to pursue them. It's just that I implore you to have a backup plan. Pick your major. Find out what the job market looks like for graduates. Find out how many of the graduates have jobs, have a stable income and have their own place. If it doesn't look too good, consider a double major. My friend (what up Josh), did the smart thing and is double majoring in accounting and dramatic theatre. He has a back-up. Be like Josh.

I, myself, would like to do theatre in the future. If I make it big, that's great. I could provide for my wife and kids without having to worry about running out of money or living paycheck to paycheck. If I do not make it big, which is the more likely scenario, that's why I have nursing.

See? Easy as that. Don't just throw yourself into a major that has a good chance of being a dead end. If you do that, because after all of the parties are over, and you've switched your tassel over and throw your graduation cap up a second time, you will be 100k in student debt and have just wasted four years of college that your parents have paid for to sit on their couch and work a minimum wage job. If that doesn't get you thinking about a back-up, I don't know what will.