Get to Work!

Your first (or second) job may not be exactly what you’re looking for, but you will learn something from it that will make you more effective in your next job. Every work experience — no matter how insignificant or frustrating it may seem at the time — helps you grow.
Mary Lee Watts
Washington, D.C.

Preserve Your Memories

Start keeping a journal. Even if you write down only the most basic events of your day, years from now those words will not only make you laugh but also help you see how far you’ve come.
Nicole Saylor
Carol Stream, Illinois

I saved the cards I received for high school graduation and took them with me to college. Whenever I was feeling lonely or homesick during my freshman year, I would take out a few and read them — a great reminder of all the friends and family who have loved and supported me through the years.
Melanie Flietstra
Bellflower, California

Turn Dreams Into Reality

My advice to anyone graduating high school is to follow your dreams. No one was born a movie star or a famous scientist. They had to work hard to make it happen — and no one will do it for you. When people say, “You can’t do that,” remember that anything is possible if you want it badly enough. Go out and make it happen.
Lynn H. Castille
Broussard, Louisiana

Dream big, and write your dreams in a special journal. Read it periodically, and be sure your daily activities include ones that will help make your dreams come true.
Lorinda Barnard
Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Dreaming is great, but living your life toward your dream is even better. Start looking ahead five years to help plan your future. Each decision now can affect your future. For example, the internships you decide to take on in college can mean the job of your dreams when you graduate.
Alyssa Joy M. Tumbokon
Fair Lawn, New Jersey

What’s the Rush?

Take a year off and participate in a service project, such as AmeriCorps or the Student Conservation Association. It can be a much needed break from studies as well as an opportunity to learn by helping people.
Dana Walker
Point Pleasant, New Jersey

Take a year off after high school and travel. I spent nine months backpacking in Italy, and not only was it an amazing experience but it also gave me time to think about what I wanted to do next. There are few times in life when you will have so little responsibility and so much time, energy, and curiosity to explore the world.
Thais Daddario
Providence, Rhode Island

Don’t be afraid to take a year or two off before college. Get a job, save money, and plan a vacation with friends. Having time to recharge the batteries, save some cash, get some practical life experience, and see a bit of the world will make you appreciate the college experience that much more.
Christy Matte
Wilmington, Massachusetts

Travel, travel, travel! Quit that job you’ve had through high school and go — at least for the summer. Right out of high school, I went to college, got a job, got married, and had kids, and now I can’t seem to find the time to take that “big trip”...or even the little ones.
Lauri Zahumensky
Cincinnati, Ohio

Take a semester to study abroad. You may never get another chance to spend months at a time in another culture.
Cheryl Crotts
Gaithersburg, Maryland

To Go or Not to Go?

Having just graduated from college and entered the “real world,” I would advise high school grads to go to college. I took the most interesting classes, met wonderful people, and lived it up for four years while living on my own. I wouldn’t change a thing — and it’s tough working the nine to five.
Allyson Scholl
Manhattan Beach, California

Go to college. Even if you think you’re not the college type, one year will teach you a great deal about yourself. You have the rest of your life to work. Take the time you deserve to learn.
Noelle Christensen
Ashland, Oregon

Never give up (in school). If you’re struggling and feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most colleges offer free tutoring, and though you may feel as if you’re the only one who doesn’t get it, you’re not.
Megan Harris
Fort Myers, Florida

If paying for college is an obstacle, cut tuition costs by taking a couple of general-ed classes at a local community college the summer before entering a four-year school, then transferring the credits.
Kelly Schafer
Carlsbad, California

Explore all the options for financing college if that is what you truly want. So many people say they can’t afford to go, but if there is a will, there is a way — loans, grants, scholarships, work-study. Don’t let money hold you back from your dreams.
Sarah Baldry
Middleville, Michigan