It is a scientific fact that our brains are not fully developed at the age of 18, in fact they don't stop developing until our early twenties. This fact is one of the many reasons the drinking age is 21, since alcohol lowers your inhibitions and prevents you to think ahead. In fact, the one area of the brain that hasn't finished developing is our pre frontal lobe, which controls our ability to plan ahead and make long term decisions. However, at the age of 18 we are expected to graduate high school with a clear and permanent picture of what we want our lives to be like, forever. We are expected to decide on a major, decide on a college, decide on a career choice, on a degree we aspire to achieve, and to pick an entry level job that will bring us to our goal AND do all of this in only four years. Even though the part of the brain that helps us make those life changing decisions isn't even fully developed yet.

As one of many 20 something year olds, I have decided to take a break from college to work and figure out what my next step should be. I went to private school for a year to study music and maintained my 3.7 GPA from high school. After deciding that I no longer wanted to pursue music (which I had been involved with since elementary school including attending a high school in performance arts) I transferred to my local community college where I graduated with an Associates of Arts in Business with honors and a 3.9 GPA, while holding two part time jobs, being a full time student and holding an internship. Somehow, this still doesn't manage to be enough for people because the answer to the age old question of "are you in school" from everyone I meet, even if they are just a customer in the store I work at, is never good enough. I constantly get sideways glances from older people and judgmental comments towards my own personal decision when I tell them I have been taking a break from my education to work and really spend time on myself. So I have something to say to every single person who feels the need to comment on how I am planning, or not planning my life and education.

Stop asking me when/if I'm going back to school, because I don't even know the answer. Stop giving me suggestions on where to go to school, or what I should major in that makes a lot of money especially when you know nothing about me. Stop giving me looks like I'm a slacker even though I work hard at everything I do. Stop assuming that I have no ambition when in fact I have many things that I am ambitious about and have trouble just choosing one path to follow. Stop telling me I'm making a mistake by not being in school because I'd much rather take the time to decide where I want to be then wake up 10 years from now unhappy at my place of work. Stop giving me advice because I did not ask for it. Stop asking what my parents think about me not being in school because it's none of your business. Stop telling me I can't be successful without a Bachelor's Degree because you're very wrong as success has different meanings to everyone. Stop trying to pressure me to be something I'm not and make decisions that won't benefit me, and then stop making me second guess those decisions I have already made. If I don't ask for your opinion, it means I don't want it, so keep it to yourself.

To all of the other people in my position don't worry what anyone else says, life will fall into place. If you're waking up happy every day there shouldn't be any regrets or any second guessing because every decision has brought you to where you are right now. As for myself, I don't know where I'm going but I'm happy where I am, and for being only 21 years old, I think that's a pretty good start.