Why Some People Don’t Go to College Right After High School

Growing up in a small-town, middle-class family, college was never an “if”. It was always a “when”.
As in, when you graduate from high school, you immediately go to college. Doing anything else was reserved exclusively for soon-to-be rockstars, all-star athletes going pro*, and people who liked to make terrible life decisions.

After all, most people who take a year off from college never end up going at all. At least, that’s what I was told. I never bothered to find the truth. I just knew I needed to go to college immediately.

Should Young Adults File Their Own Taxes? Here’s Why I Do.

Taxes aren’t something you really worry about when you’re dependent on your parents/guardians/overlords. If you have a job, you get your little tax form at the end of the year, you hand that over to whoever takes care of the family business, and hopefully, you get some money back.

Then a few moons pass, and suddenly, you’re an independent. You are now responsible for getting your taxes taken care of.

What are You Waiting For?

There’s a lot of waiting involved in growing up. You wait until your tall enough, coordinated enough, pretty enough, smart enough, old enough to do these things you want to do.

Your possibilities are limited by the stage of life you’re in.

But year by year, those things you’ve been waiting for start to arrive….

Choosing Classes Freshman Year

As a freshman in college, you have a lot to figure out: your major, your friends, your hangout spots, your identity. Some people even decide to start going by a different name their freshman year of college. It’s kind of weird, but hey, you do you. You’re on an adventure at a new place, and […]

What is College Graduation Really Like?

I thought college graduation would be cool, fun, and exciting, like high school graduation but more cinematic and sexy. For many, it’s the exact opposite.

Do I Say Yes or No? The Struggle of Decision Making

In any given day, you can only say yes to so many things. A yes carries a commitment. It requires follow through. Are you interested in hearing more? Yes. Do you want to go with me to the pants store? Yes. These answers consume time and energy. On the other hand, you have unlimited no’s. […]

The Day I Decided to Pay Off My College Debt

It’s surprisingly easy to live with debt. If you have a steady job and a manageable monthly payment, you start to forget it’s even there. Like so many of my peers, I graduated college with a nice chunk of debt. Above the national average of $37,000 (though still less than many other people I knew). […]

I Graduated from High School. Now What?

I don’t know where my high school diploma is. I’ve spent the past ten minutes trying to remember if I actually got a physical diploma. I must have. I graduated from high school. I walked across the stage in that ridiculous square hat. People clapped when my name was read. It was very official. And […]