What advice do you have for a senior graduating from high school?

If I had it to do all over again, I would have taken several years off before attending college. It's just a given for most that they go right to college, but the best thing you can do would be to travel if you can afford it, or take a couple of internships where you can learn about fields you might be interested in.

Find out what you love to do and study and do that. Don't worry about being practical or doing what everyone else is doing. Do something you love.

Study what interests you and take advantage of opportunities that come your way. They may only be available once. Don't let fear of failure or the unknown hold you back from doing what you want.

And don't apply for a million credit cards. It might seem like free money now, but in the long run, it's bad news.

My advice is to decide right here and now that you are going to be successful. Envision yourself as successful. Come to terms with the fact that money is power and debt is weakness.

Start putting money into investments the minute you start working. If you are going on to higher education, hit it head on and stay focused on the goal. Don't let socialization and other aspects deter you from excelling in your chosen field.Be all that you can be.

Still, once you have entered the working world, invest, invest, invest, invest...If you have money and resources you will always have the power to control your own life and to take advantage of situations as they arise. As the adage goes, "the best thing you can be when opportunity does knock is....ready".WB.

Take some time away from school and explore the world!

Concerning college, wait to enroll until you feel that you truly want to go. For some people, this moment never comes. Others have it right away.

Unless you truly want to attend college, you're not going to perform well. Most classmates that drop out, from my experience, never wanted to be there in the first place. Concerning credit cards, don't do it.

Get a job, or two, and pile up some cash if you want to buy things. If you decide to attend college, it will help. If not, then it can't hurt.

Get to know yourself. People always think they've matured enough to understand things, then laugh at themselves a few years later. When I graduated, I thought I knew everything and had the world by the balls.

I was wrong. I'm amazed at how much I learn each year and how far I've come in that time. And I suspect I will continue to have this feeling, year after year, until I die.

I would tell them to look for jobs in one of two fields, either medical or alternative energy. These will be some of the hottest careers in the next decade.

Take as much time as you need to find what you really want. Don't listen to adults, they are not good guides, at least not adults in the US. Take a look around and see what they have created.

That should tell you all you need to know. Do what you want. Find your passion and go for it.

Once you are in a job, you are in the grind, and if you do not like that job, there is no escape. Never get into the grind. Keep excitement in your life.It is too easy to get into a life-long rut.

There is No Exit. Be courageous. Get away from the US.

There are places in the world you would not believe that are beautiful, adventurous, exciting. The US is a big work factory where people live to work rather than work to live. Don't be one more statistic.

Go to college. Good luck finding a job nowadays without a degree under your belt. Also, don't think that the first ever college boyfriend/girlfriend you have is "the one".

It's exciting to finally date someone that is in college, but do not expect it to last. If you do happen to get lucky and find the right person from the start, kudos to you, but don't bet on it from the start. If you choose not to go to college, then find a job that will at least cover living expenses, because you certainly don't want to live with your parents the rest of your life.

Go to college. Take as many interesting internships as you can get ahold of. Try new things.

Don't spend what you don't have. Make mistakes. Make friends.Do what makes you happiest.

My advice is to consider how your current decisions affect your future. No it is not a right of passage to party and get drunk. If you play with fire your going to get burned.

These are the years many people form drug and acohol addictions so be careful how you spend your time. Enjoy your life, surround yourself with friends who actually care about you. Don't settle being around people that don't give a rip about you.

Dream big, don't let anyone set limitations for you. And lastly seek to know God if you don't already know He wants to be found. Knowing God will give you confidence, joy and peace in the midst of life's greatest harships.

Congradulations your an adult.

I agree with most of the people on this page. I felt pressured at my school to attend college because that's what everyone else was doing. I was ashamed to admit that I didn't want to go right away.

I don't understand how anyone can possibly know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at that age. So poke around a little and see what you like. Rorshak sobchak.

Investigate what you really want to do with your life.

Know that you can do anything. Ask and you will receive. Don't "want" it; visualize it as already yours.

Practice humility along with the above "faith. " Give generously, but anonymously. Follow your passion.Do what makes your creative juices flow.

Think very carefully about what you would like to do for a living. Plan accordingly by picking a college that will allow you to advance in your particular field of interest. Avoid the trap of excessive student loans.

The last thing you need when you graduate is 15-25 years of debt right out of the gate. Most importantly, realize that you are now stepping in to your own, and that your parents and friends will begin to grow distant (this is inevitable), but that this is a not necessarily a bad thing, as it affords you the opportunity to forge new friends and follow a life path that is wholly of your own choosing.

Enjoy your summer, try to just relax and get ready for life lol.

Unearth your passion and chase it. There will be times when practicality will intervene. Take this opportunity to dare to dream.

Enjoy your summer and then go straight to college! Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Do something... doesn't matter what it is... whether going to college or getting a job or attending night school while pursuing your hobby of building robots during the day, do something... keep the momentum going. You will figure out what your life will look like, but if you don't get started on something, there won't be any experience that you can compare with. So, while you learn what you like and don't like in the world, do something, and better yet, do many things... beekeeping, boot-making, computer software design... as long as it is something new, try it... you'd be amazed at what you find fascinating once you get to know a little something about it.

:).

Discover your virtues; things you like, things you have done successful in the past effortlessly; and develop yourself in them. These things help you to decide what to major on when you advance your studiesAlign your actions with your deepest needs and your highest aspirations. Go for the best.

Set yourself some goals. Develop your self - image in the process. Be the best you can be.!

Do not put off going to college if it's in your thoughts. Take a summer vacation then go to college or at least a trade school. Most people who start working and put it off for later never actually go.

I would have wanted to hear from this from my father but unfortunately, he passed away a month before my high school graduation. He would have said, "Life is what you make of it, son. As a young adult, everything that you may reap is a result of your own decisions.

Pick yourself up where you fell... I, the rest of our family, and your friends will always be there to support you. "I would like to believe that he is still there and I hope I will be there to say this to my children when the opportunity comes.

I would say go to college. Take it seriously. I wish I had taken college more seriously during my undergrad.It is your future.

Have fun but moderate it with plenty of hard work. College degrees no longer guarantee jobs, but in this economy it is probably better to go ahead and get educated. Hopefully it will turn around before you graduate from college.

Stay busy stay on track do what you love and be succesfull in doing so.

Go to college, go to college, go to college, go to college, go to college, go to college (repeat this phrase in your head a million times). Forget what everyone else says baby, listen to me. Even if you don't know what you want to do just take some electives.

Make sure one of them is Psychology. Let me know how it goes.

Avoid debt if you can. Do not borrow especially for degrees that are considered potentially unemployable. Hard sciences: engineering, biology, pre-med, chemistry are more valuable in a monetary URL1 many useless albeit interesting subjects such as numerous social sciences or historical studies: women studies, political science, communication arts..etc that DO NOT easily transfer to jobs (NOT any longer IF they ever did) Many of these subjects you can easily learn on your OWN.

Just keep reading books (non-fiction)I would suggest, do your research- Use the library, the computer, call, send emails, do whatever before you invest a dime to FIND out what your potential JOB/CAREER will pay realistically before you sign the line for the loan or put yourself in debt. Talk to former graduates, see if they found employment in THAT field.DO NOT listen to the schools admission office or guidance councilors - they will lie as they are salesmen who want to justify the rising costly tuition in order to provide tenure for useless liberal arts/humanities courses and degrees which give you a zero sum skill set when you graduate and find out you do NOT automatically get the job! However, you still have to pay those loans with guaranteed interest working at some service sector job making minimum wage.

Perhaps the military first - if not for patriotism how about the GI bill which you can use to offset those expensive loans. Perhaps a vocational skill to combine with your college degree? The skills can compliment each other and you will always be able to fall back on one in the event the other fails at job creation.

Learn languages..as a skill this will become increasingly more valuable as globalization in business expands.In Florida, they already have experimental programs teaching Chinese (Mandarin) to young Cuban (bilingual English/Spanish) while in grade school. Imagine the skills they acquire NOW while young, for the globalized world of the future. Regardless, you will be ahead of the game if you simply graduate, get the degree and have no debt or very little.

Just research everything about the degree in terms of potential employment in your location. You may also find, relocation for THAT job is a very realistic prospect especially if competition is extremely high. "College Inc" is a good documentary as well as "College Conspiracy.

Oh boy - take some time to yourself - figure out what you really want to do and if it's YOU that really wants to do it or if it's just pressure from your family, peers, etc. Going to college for something your mom or dad did or want you to do is not going to satisfy you in the long run - you need to follow your heart and passion. Too many people nowadays settle. They settle on jobs.

Settle on life. Don't settle. Follow your dreams and don't give them up - no matter what.

Determination will get you through life and the tough spots - determination and faith. Know you are doing what you want to and you will. You have to put up with the rain before you can see the rainbow.

Oh Cool. I'm a senior. I'd say, do not fail you're exams and take a lot of pictures.

Going to George Mason University....can't wait! I don't like how highschool teachers teach.

Think about the decisions you make now and think about how they could possibly affect your future success or lack thereof. Also, don't let your life pass you by. Right now you think you've got your whole life ahead of you to do stuff but as you get older, the days/weeks/months/years seem to pass by quicker and you don't want to wake up one day and wonder where the years have gone.

Some pratical advice so you can take it easy in 5 years. This isn't stuff you'll learn naturally over the next 5. It's stuff that later you'll wish you would have done if you don't do it now right after high school.It's stuff you can do later but wish you'd done earlier.

Learn budget software and track all of your spending. Learn how to read a financial statement and the difference between assets and liabilities. Build your credit.

Get small loans and pay them on time thikn of the small smount of interest as the price of building a good credit score. Learn the value of good debt and invest the money you borrow, lemons for a lemonade stand, stocks, saving account, anything but don't spend it on things that won't give you a return like clothes, pizza, a good time, that's what your job will pay for not your credit. Get a secured credit card and keep it in a safe deposit box.

Use it to pay recurring bills but pay it off every month and keep it physically away to avoid temptation to spend unnecessarily. Get employeed as soon as possible if not already, build a solid resume. Join JobCore.

Go to a tech/vocational/community school and complete a program that takes less than a year to finish. EMT basic, Apprentice tradesman, Barber, Office Assistant, Dental Assistant, or whatever. Doesn't matter if you are interested in the vocation do it for the money.

The course load will be light enough to allow for a job while learning. When your done with the program get employeed with your certificate/credential and earn 25% more than you would without. Get at least one year's tax returns working and apply to college with your FASFA income able to qualify for money but is still enough to support self-sufficiency.

Go into a field you'll enjoy and/or one related to the certificate/job you already have. There is no reason to go straight to college when there are short term training programs that can easily be completed the first year after high school and offer an employement safety net while sorting your life out in college. Check out student exchange programs, volunteer activities, and travel opportunties while your under 21 and young since you'll likely not be too tied down.

Buy land you want to keep as soon as possible. Garden it you'll be amazed how life will pass by and a seedling can become a tree before you're degreed.. Finally stay in touch with people you meet and have met, a good rolodex and holiday cards help, you'll never know who will be able to help you in life.

Check out the page I just wrote on this topic: hubpages.com/hub/3-Ways-to-Survive-Your-Fre.

As a senior your experience should outweigh competition which enable you to gain employment fairly quickly, but as it is with each and every other graduate gaining employment can still be very difficult although you have all the necessary qualifications, also be prepared to accept employment in a differing job than your chosen or ideal profession. Try to put your cv out to as many places as possible and join on line agencies, go to recruitment fairs, and local job centres the more you try the better the oportunity of getting that job you want. The other option is to continue education the more education the greater your chances are of employment also the added bonus of a greater salary the more education you have a strong cv is less likely to get pass up.

I run hubpages on gaining employment from the first stage of applying to your very first day of work. Good luck and keep going and never give up until you get that perfect job.

Plan ahead! Because college is so much easier when you enter into it well-grounded. Never underestimate your abilities, either!

Because you can do anything you set your mind and heart to!

Imagine what you want to do when you get out of college. What would give you the most satisfaction in life. This is an idea that cannot be motivated by money, but by what will make you happy (unless what makes you happy is making money).

Get a bachelor's in your chosen field, and if you can, a graduate degree as well.

Go to college, balance partying and school work.

Go to University and major in whatever you want. Don't look at university as a factory to produce future employees. Look at it as a time to grow mentally, network with your peers and as a time to expand your knowledge base.

University is fun as hell for reasons that escape the scope of this answer; I am not going to go into the specifics on why it's fun as hell but I'm sure you can imagine. If you don't plan to go to grad school to become a doctor, lawyer or researcher etc...Then take the four years you have in university to learn as much as you can about assets ( or things that bring in residual income; stocks, land, vending machines, websites, copyright material etc...) aside from your major. Also familiarize yourself with marketing and advertising or as I like to say: the art of persuading people where they are.

What I'm basically saying is learn how to sustain yourself financially without working for someone else. I'm not necessarily saying become a business owner at the same time I'm not giving you a direct path for financial success, I'm just giving you the broad strokes because I don't know what kind of person you are. You probably want to do what you want to do and that is what money allows you to do.

Ignore everything I said if you're looking to work at a 9-to-5 job at some company somewhere. Nothing wrong with that by the way.....

Save some money and sign up for the Army or Navy and have them pay for your college.

Get your life together because you are entering the real world right now...be afraid...be very afraid.

Have a plan. If you don't...now is a good time to make one. Know what uni you're going to, if you are going to uni.

Maybe take a gap year and work overseas? ...Stay away from shopping centres, you'll need the financial support ;).

Do something because you love it, not because it will make you the most money. Because if you love it you will put everything you have into it, and you will be rewarded for your dedication. Also, have as much fun as you can before your thirty.

Don't waste your 20s, your sexy and young, be safe, respect yourself.

You need to be passionate about what you choose to do with the rest of your life. Love what you do and do what you love.

Read John Taylor Gatto and then consider starting your education all over again.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.