The first thing you should know is that they're wrong. All of them. About everything. High school is not your peak. These are not the best years of your life, not even close. This is not the "end" of your life, either. Not even close. This is the beginning. Like the old saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. The door of your twelve years of schooling is coming to a close. Now, there's a new door in front of you, just waiting to be opened, and it's yours to control. Welcome to adulthood.

I remember how it felt to see everyone around me with their lives so together. They knew exactly where they would be the following September. They knew what they wanted to study, and they knew what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. Their future seemed so bright compared to mine.

The closer we got to the end of the school year, the more panicked I became, and it really was starting to eat me alive. From the second I'd entered high school, the idea that college is basically mandatory was shoved down my throat. I was also told if I didn't get some kind of degree, I would never have a "good" life.

As the years went by, my counselor became more frustrated with me and my inability to "just pick something." Every time someone asked me what my plan was, I stumbled out a "well, I'm not completely sure yet," and received worried looks from teachers, counselors, and peers who'd asked. At home, I was told that if I wasted my time and money on college, I was an idiot. I'm the first person in my family to ever attend college, and the idea was heavily discouraged. These contradicting ideologies were not very helpful when it came to making my decision.

In a world where jobs are scarce and student debt is plentiful, college did not sound appealing to me at all. I didn't come from a wealthy family who could afford to send me even if I'd wanted to go, so I knew that no matter what I chose, I was on my own. So I did what I think everyone should do: I took some time off to really figure out what to do. I got another job in addition to the one I already had and worked all summer into the next fall. I saved up what I could and decided to enroll in community college.

I recently finished my first semester, and while I definitely could've done better, I am proud of what I've accomplished so far and found myself looking forward to doing even better next semester.

So whether you're one of the people who know where they're headed or someone without a clue, know that this is not the end, it's the beginning. You don't need to have your whole life figured out when you're seventeen or eighteen years old. Just focus on trying to enjoy these last few weeks as a high schooler, because this time next year, you just might find yourself missing it.