High school was fun. I was involved in lots of afterschool activities and I found friends I really enjoyed hanging out with. Although I feel like I didn't really party as much as other kids did, and I definately didn't study as much as I should have, I feel like high school was an overall success. But as senior year rapidly approaches, I can't help but feel that inescapable threat of college. One wrong move and I'll have ruined my life. If I choose the wrong major I'll be stuck working in a job I hate. But if I choose a different major, I might not achieve financial stability or job security. How do colleges expect us to choose what we want to do for the rest of our lives at the age of seventeen? Hell, I don't even know what I want to do for spring break. I consider myself a creative artsy person. I'm not into art, at least not my own pathetic excuses of painting, but I like to write and I like to express myself through poetry and visual art. But I also loved broadcasting class. I loved every part of it, the filming, the directing, and the anchoring. I worked on newspaper previously and I seem to be good at journalism. I would love to work with cameras behind the scenes. But, what if I wake up one day and wish that I had decided instead to do something with more financial stability?

Well, my guidance counselors say, what do you like to do? I like to listen to music. I like to write. I like working with technology. I like watching monster movies. I like to act, but I'm afraid I'm not too good. I like telling jokes. I like politics. Out of all of that, I see these career fields: the arts, politics, and technology, maybe media. So, you tell me, what should I do? Go into a career in the arts that offers no financial stability and is considered a 'young person's' career or go into a career that I'll probably hate when I'm young, but will maybe grow into? Perhaps I should become a politician, although I don't really want to be a political figurehead. Sometimes, I wish it were simple. I think it'd be cool to work with films, but I know that's a terribly hard venue to get into. I can't see myself as the next Katie Couric, wait, who am I kidding, I could never be that cool. Not only do I have no idea what I want to do or even really what I'm good at, but an amazing amount of pressure can be placed on kids our age. Parents, school, finances, all of these can heavily impact not only our decisions, but our lives.

Parents do what they do for the best. They do it because they love us. They want us to get into good schools and get good jobs that will pay the bills and provide stability. I appreciate that. I just wish that parents were a little more supportive. When I decided at age three that I wanted to be a lawyer, my parents were extremely supportive. Doctors and lawyers are the future kid, my dad would say. Well, when I decided perhaps that wouldn't be the best option for me, my parents were needless to say a little disappointed. I went through career phases for a while there. One month I decided to be a FDE, forensic document examiner, and work for the police solving crimes. That ended and I decided I would study ancient documents in the hopes of infiltrating the Vatican's secret document vault. Dan Brown's The Davinci Code might have helped me make that decision. When I finally decided that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do, they tried to make sure that I understood the consequences of my decision. Make sure you have a backup plan, my mother said. Don't want to end up waitressing. Personally, I don't have a problem waitressing; it's better than some jobs. Not only did my parents try to help me choose a career, they also helped me decide to stay close to home for college. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little bit of a restless spirit. I like big cities, and for me, Spartanburg just isn't cutting it. Small towns are great for growing up in, but you only realize that in retrospect after you've left them. I wanted to change the world and let's face it, I couldn't do that in SC. It was the end of my junior year when I finally figured out my dream job. I went to the guidance office and looked through the College Board Big Book of Majors. I was flipping pages and came across an entry that fit me perfectly. Cinematography. It combined all of the aspects of visual art that I loved, theater, cameras, music, and writing. Unfortunately, it's a very competitive career. But I loved it. I love everything about movies, the plot, the characters, the fashions, the makeup, the camera angles, all of it. When I suggested to my parents that we take a trip to Savannah to tour the Savannah College of Art and Design, a noted film school, let's just say that my parents didn't like that idea at all. My backup plan is for advertising, which also combines elements of art and business. They didn't like that too much either. My parents want the best for me and they've always thought that I wasn't 'living up to my potential'. They see me as a lawyer or business woman, and that's someone that I just don't want to be.

When you can't find support from your parents, you should turn to your school. Undoubtedly, somewhere, there is someone who has inspired you to do better or helped lead you down the path to where you are today. I have many teachers who are friends and they all shared my sense of excitement at my decision. Teachers can be very supportive, but so can guidance counselors and coaches. Sometimes, even teachers can pressure students into careers. Teachers can see the best and the worst in us. They can help us realize our potential, but they can also steer us towards a better suited path. During the Space Race, education became geared towards producing mathematical and scientific minds. Shapers of the future ushering in technologcial advances. Focusing on one aspect of education pressures students to be very good at one area of education, and somewhat overshadows the other areas. Today, schools sponsor athletic and academic successes. I am not an athlete. I can play badminton and tennis, a little volleyball, a little soccer. Other than that, my skills are extremely limited. With the athletic option out, I focused on academics. But what about the students who are average? Schools pressure us to be gifted in at least one aspect. Students struggle for success, but sometimes, they're just average, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Finances are a big issue in this day and age. College isn't cheap. Not at all. If I go to a college in state, not only will I get state funding, but my tuition will also be less. If I go in state somewhere close to my parents house, I can save money on room and board. If I go somewhere out of state, I will have to pay for a room, although I would probably get more career oppurtunities there. Unfortunately I'm not eligible for that many scholarships. We've all heard the stories about student loans and how we'll be paying back on them until we're forty. Those stories are true. Student loans give you the money when you need it, but you'll pay for it later.

College is one big confusing decision. I have an idea what I want to do, but no idea as to how my college experiences will shape me and change me into the person I will become. I wish I knew who I wanted to be when I'm older, maybe it would make the tough decisions easier. No matter what you're worried about, just remember that as long as you're doing something you love, you can't go wrong.