As a senior in high school, you feel like the weight of the rest of your future is on your shoulders. It is the responsibility of every 18-year-old graduating high school to decide what they want to do for the rest of their life. Some people, like me, have a plan set in stone and know that the path they follow will lead them closer to their future goals. For others, they have no clue what they want to do, and that is completely fine. There are many more things seniors have to think about before making this important decision.

I chose to go to a university and here’s why.

1. I had a plan.

I thought about what I wanted to do in life my whole junior year, and by the beginning of my senior year, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be a high school or middle school English teacher.

2. I wanted to leave.

When I graduated, I wanted to get as far away from the high school atmosphere as I possibly could. I did not want to come back next year being 20 minutes down the road to be going to school with the same students I have been going to school with since I was five. (I’m from a really small town.)

3. I am still taking community college classes online over winter and summer breaks.

Currently, I’m on track to receive 27 credit hours from my community college. This option has sped my college education up tremendously. Now, I will only be at my university for three and a half years.

4. They had the perfect major.

My university has the ideal English teacher program. I will have an English degree, both middle and high school teaching certifications, and I will receive my creative writing minor. The list of classes I have to take are a dream come true. I am excited to take them all because I know they will interest me, and I will learn.

5. I have a really hard time adjusting to new situations, especially moving away from my parents and brothers.

Although it was very tough, I knew if I didn’t start college as a freshman and be surrounded by other new freshmen, that I would never make any friends. I am a super shy person, so I used this quality to my advantage. I got to know some people at the awkward, new student stage, and I made some of my best friends that way.

I have nothing against community college, as I said before I am still taking classes there. I chose a university because I knew it was the best choice for me and my future. So, my advice for those stressed out high school seniors: Relax and just think about yourself for once. The choice is yours, and it only benefits you.