Go to high school for four years, then college for another four. Grad school comes after depending on your profession. This is the path that everyone expects us to follow, and by everyone I mean society. And of course our parents.

If you are fortunate enough to have a family that can support this path, both money-wise and moral support, it seems pointless to think of doing anything else. But if you’re anything like me at age 18, you have no idea what you want to do with the rest of your life. And I’m here to tell you that that’s okay.

So I headed off to college with no idea what I wanted to do, but determined to follow through with my parent’s wishes. My dad had told me the best careers are in business, so I enrolled in the business program and started from there. I thought ‘well hey at least ill get a good job when this is over’. One year later, however, and I began to think differently.

When I was thrown into the world of college, I realized at once how little high school had prepared me for it. I was taking 5 classes but still somehow had so much free time I didn’t know what to do with it. So I did what many college freshmen do and partied/slept a lot. By the time Christmas break arrived, my grades were slipping and I was exhausted.

I realize now that my grades didn’t just suffer as a result of my carefree behavior, but because I didn’t like the classes I was taking. A whole year had gone by and I finally decided to change my major. But change it to what? That part I had no clue about, but I knew things couldn’t continue the way they were going. So I decided to take a semester off and live at home while working. Best decision I ever made.

Not only did this time give me the space I needed to contemplate my future, but it gave me perspective. I didn’t want to waste any more of my parent’s money with schooling until I had a goal in mind. I think it's important for people to realize that this is an option, and that there’s no shame in taking some time off of school. Some people can spend their first year of college taking gen-eds and such, and then decide what they want to do, but many cannot afford this luxury.

Despite all of my mistakes, I don’t regret spending that year in college because it taught me a lot. Most importantly it taught me that I need a more structured environment if I want to succeed, and that asking for help is okay. In college, there is no one to yell at you if you don’t get up for class, and no one to ground you for failing a test. So its essential to have a career path that you’re passionate about, in order to motivate you.

I’m not saying school is not important or that you should skip college entirely, because that’s the opposite of the truth. During my time off I did take a few classes at Framingham State (mostly online) to get credits and keep myself on-track. Being back in the workplace for a semester has also helped me see how much I need a college degree, so as not to be working two part-time jobs or one full-time one that I don’t enjoy.

So follow your dreams. But be smart about it.