Post-Secondary Options (what the heck am I going to do after high school?)

The Present

So, what are my options?  Work  Join the Military  Community College  Career College or Technical School  Apprenticeship  Military ROTC  Traditional 4-Year College  Live at home with Mom and Dad

Work – Pros and Cons  One of the first slides showed how hard it is to make a living with only a high school education.  Career advancement?  I’ll have money to spend the way I want  I’ll feel more independent  What else?

Military – Pros and Cons  I could get hurt  I might hate it  I would miss my family  Job training  See the world  Steady, reasonably secure income  Other benefits (college tuition, insurance, etc.)  Anything else to consider?

Community College – P’s and C’s  I still might not make enough to live on  Too small  I might not like it  Job market?  Cost!  There are some really great paying jobs that use a 2-year degree  I could always transfer to a 4-year college  Flexibility

Career College/ Technical School  Not as “prestigious”  I might not like it!  Cost (sometimes they cost more than traditional college)  Advancement opportunities  I’ll get to take the classes I really enjoy  I’ll be done more quickly than if I went to a 4-year college

Apprenticeships – Pros and Cons  No college education (again, this might limit my advancement opportunities).  May not be easy to find one.  100% hands-on learning.  Often a paid position (so you’re being paid while you are learning).

Military ROTC – Pros and Cons  There is a service obligation.  Similar “cons” to joining the military.  Similar “pros” to joining the military!  I’d get a college education and be guaranteed a job at graduation.  I’d get paid to go to school.  There is a lot of structure and support.  I’d enter the military as an officer (and get more perks).

4-Year College – Pros and Cons  Expense.  What if I still can’t get a job?  What if I hate it?  Statistically, I should be able to get a job that would support me.  Controlled independence.  A larger variety of classes to take, which could help me decide what field I like before “committing” to it.

Live with Mom and Dad Forever  Do you really want to live with your parents??? Really??  (Trust me, your parents will kick you out eventually)

Okay, but how do I know what I want to do?  We can use the Michigan College Access Network to identify interest areas and research careers.  Career Cruising is another tool to use.  Once you’ve identified an area of interest (and possibly the type of lifestyle you hope to have), you can work backwards to figure out what training you’d need.  Knowing what training you need will help you narrow down your options, but then you still need to make some choices.

Off we go!  Now that we’ve talked about what some of the options are, let’s get in the computer lab, take some interest inventories, and start some research!