High School Graduate: Now What?

Every June thousands of teenagers graduate from high school and have high hopes for their futures. Some will go on to college, some will enter the work force, and others will find themselves in the armed forces. Most graduates however don't have any idea what they want to do with their lives for the long term.

I was fortunate enough to go to a 4-year university, and graduate with a degree in English, my native tongue. I tried different majors like Biology and Geology, but the only field I was remotely interested in was English. I had no idea what I could possibly do with an English degree, and still don't.

When I graduated from high school I went to college because I always knew I would. However I would've been better served if I had known what I wanted to accomplish in college.

I spent 5 years getting the degree and don't feel bad about my decision, however, if I were to do it over again, I would take a different route.

After my freshman year in college I still had no idea what field I wanted to go into. At this point, rather than continuing on my path to nowhere, I should have taken a step back and entered the work force as a low level low paid peon. This is actually what I did after my senior year.

Once I was in the work force and realized how difficult it was to make ends meet, even working two low paid jobs, I came to my senses. I realized for the first time that I had to really explore what was out there and make a choice. I had to find something specialized with good pay and security. If I had taken a break from college after my freshman year, I would have realized what I needed to do and returned with a focus and a purpose.

After graduating with my English degree I spent 2 years floundering in low paying jobs. Finally I found myself in a 2-year associates degree program training to become a medical ultrasound technician. This training was through Spokane Community College in Spokane Washington. Upon graduating I was ready to embark on a highly specialized, well paid career in cardiac ultrasound.

These types of programs are much less expensive than 4-year colleges. I was able to get a low interest government student loan, which I had no problem paying off.

After 2 years of hard study I was finally making good money, doing something I enjoy. If I had entered this field right out of high school, I would have been making good money when I was only 20 years old. If a person manages things well, you could be retired by the time your in your mid 40s.

To an 18 year old, the mid-40s sound like an eternity. As everyone eventually realizes, however, if you're able to retire that early you're doing something right. Heck, you've got another 40 years to do whatever you want...it's all gravy. Trade schools can make early retirement possible because you can enter a good paying job after only 2 years of training.

There are lots of trade schools out there that offer degrees giving you a marketable skill right out the door. Most don't take 4 years and drain your bank account either.

Most trade schools will require some sort of pre-requisites for acceptance. The ultrasound school required quite a bit of science background. Being an English major, I didn't have a lot, but I went to a local community college at night for a few semesters and fulfilled the requirements without too much trouble. It's amazing how easy school becomes when you have a focus.

As new high school graduates meet the real world head on, they'll start to understand how hard it is to get by working a low level job. Realizing this should turn their focus from partying and having a good time to focusing on something that will earn them a good living and a satisfying career. Looking into trade schools makes a lot of sense and can lead to fiscal and personal contentment.