It’s hard to know what to do once you graduate from high school. Do you stay in education and go to college, or do you venture into the world of work? There’s no right or wrong answer, and what suits you best depends on who you are as a person. Most people opt to do the former, and the majority of them enjoy their time there. However, many of them come away realizing that college wasn’t quite what they’d expected it to be. All the myths they’d heard beforehand weren’t as accurate as they’d believed them to be.
High school doesn’t matter
When you’re in high school, everything you do there matters. From your extracurriculars to your grades, all of it is important for the next stage in your life. At least that’s what you’re told. While these things certainly help you develop essential skills and build your intelligence, they actually mean very little in college.
On the one hand, this is a good thing. If you were unpopular or didn’t have many friends in high school, you’ve got a fresh start to change all that. However, it also means that you might now face a lot more academic competition. Sure, you may have been one of the smartest kids in your class before, but that probably won’t be the case now.
Everyone is more mature
When students leave high school, a lot of them hope they’ll be leaving behind the people they hated. While that does indeed happen, they’re swiftly replaced by others at college who are just as bad, if not worse. Don’t be mistaken into thinking that students will suddenly be mature, polite, and selfless. Everyone’s still the same; they’re just a bit older and more determined to do things their way. While you’ll meet plenty of friendly people at college, there will always be students there you just can’t stand.
Grades count for everything
You shouldn’t go to college if you don’t plan on getting good grades. It’s really not worth putting yourself in so much debt if you’re just going to waste the next few years of your life. However, while working hard is essential, college isn’t all about getting good grades. In fact, there are plenty of other things that are just as vital.
College is supposed to prepare you for adult life, so any experiences that help with that are always a good idea. From being involved with extracurriculars to things like volunteering or summer internships, you’re gaining skills and experience that will give you a leg up come graduation. This is something employers are focusing on more and more nowadays, so one could argue that they’re actually even more important than your grades.
College is harder than high school
There’s a common belief that college is far harder than high school. While the classes are certainly a step up from what you’re used to, they’re not as difficult as you might think. Even if you’re studying something complex, you’ll have plenty of downtime to let it all sink in and get your head around it. College schedules aren’t as strict as they are in high school, meaning you’re blessed with the gift of freedom. A lot of the time the ball’s in your court, you just have to be smart enough not to throw it away.
Nothing’s saying you have to go to college, but don’t let these myths put you off. The chances are you’ll have an experience you never saw coming, and that’s surely worth giving it a try.
