As the first semester is winding down and senioritis is at an all time high, college acceptance letters are the only thing the class of 2016 hasn’t lost interest in. Every day there are new posts on every social media site about where different students plan to attend. But what about those who have no clue where they want to go or what they want to do? The good news is — it is okay. Take a deep breath.
We sat down with the junior and senior AVID teacher, Sheila Sterling, who told us that there is no need to rush into any career plan yet because, “students are not locked into anything.” She explained that students have the first few years to get their basics done before committing to a major or any upper level classes. She also said that she “went through three different majors before deciding and teaching wasn’t even the last one.” For students who really have no idea what they want to do as a career, Sterling suggests that they take different online quizzes to narrow down their strengths and interests. By doing this, seniors will be able to see which careers are suitable for them.
Some students are thinking about taking a year off of school or not even going to college, Sterling said that she, “Personally [doesn’t] suggest taking a year off because in that year students start working, earning more money and having to pay bills. After that, it is very difficult to go back to school.” Also, for those who plan not to attend college at all Sterling says they, “need to have a career path rather than just working a minimum wage job, because eventually that won’t be enough.”
Students who are already decided on which school and which major are facing the same struggles as those who haven’t decided when it comes to finances.
You might be asking, “How am I supposed to pay to go to TCU when they raised the tuition to $40,000?!” Trust me, we get it.
Luckily, Sterling has a plan for that excuse too, “There are hundreds upon thousands of scholarships available. Students can do a web search, there are various websites that will even narrow it down for them. There are several on the Timber Creek Counselors page.”
Staring in January, students can also apply for financial aid through FASFA.
“There are even student loans, which is not always the best option, but it is still better than no education,” Sterling said.
Seniors who have not taken their SAT or ACT yet can sign up for the spring tests on collegeboard.com. It’s not too late to apply for college, and Timber Creek Counselors and teachers are happy to provide some direction.