grow up already

When you get a degree, don't necessarily think about money, think more about what you want to do. Also weigh in the fact that: 1) you need to be able to support yourself with extra on the side for hospitality or just having spending cash. Keep in mind that if you DO get married (don't plan on it, bc that can cloud your judgement and you might make really bad decisions about the future) you could be the major contributor/sole breadwinner and will need a job that can support you, your spouse, and potential kids if you decide to have any. 2) you need to be able to pay back student debts/your parents. Student debts, if you have them, are a duh - you need to pay those back or you go to jail. But parents might also provide a significant amount of money and you need to give back what you owe, even if there is no interest, no pressure, no deadline, no punishment, no reminders. 3) when choosing a major, pick something that pays well but also has elements that you enjoy. If you love m...

I personally find checklists really helpful - they tell you exactly what you need to do to get to a certain point. And in this case, that point is college. So here are the checklists I found most helpful for me, or that had the most potential, and that will probably be most helpful for you, wherever you are in school. (all links open in new tabs) checklist for 6th-8th graders .  I really like this checklist, even as a graduated high school student - it's a great way to really get you thinking about where you want to be, how you want to get there, and why. It gives you information on what different kinds of schools there are, and gives you some pointers based on what you'd be interested in. It also gives you tips, tells you where to start, tells you what to do depending on the grade you're in, answers questions you're probably asking yourself right now, and basically holds your hand and guides you through the process. Reading it got me really excited for college, so I wo...