Seniors await the day of graduation, to finally be out of school and be adults in the real world. Most are afraid of what’s to come, whether it be planning to extend their education or go straight into the work field. But there are a lot of students who have no idea what to do after high school.

Benjamin Ochoa is a senior at NoHo, and he’s one of the few people who go to the military after high school. Joining the military after high school isn’t most people’s first choice or even a thought in their heads, but some benefits come with it. According to goarmy.com, you get low or no-cost health care, education and career training, retirement plans, and much more.

“I just want to have that teamwork and leadership skill. Even while being in the military it will help me have that sense of security,” says Ochoa.

There is another route of education if you don’t want to go to college, and that’s trade school. According to midwesttech.edu, “A trade school (also known as a technical school) is a postsecondary educational institution designed to train students for a specific job in a skilled trade career.” They have many programs that focus on one skill preparing you for those jobs. 

“I don’t want to go to college because it isn’t for me. I am good academically but the stress of school does get to me. I feel like trade school will work out for me because I’ll be learning about things that will better help me in the future rather than stress me out with things such as general ed,” explained Christan Guerra.

While others don’t plan on going to college or working right after high school, there are some who plan on going but not right away. Seniors would more than likely take a gap year to figure out what they want to do next or finger out their financial situation. 

“I do plan on going to college, but not right now. I’m unsure of what I want to study and I want to enjoy that year and have fun – but not having the stress of school feels nice thinking about,” exclaimed Angelina Pantoja, a senior at Noho.

Some students don’t know what to do after graduation, but some do. Seniors have applied and gotten into community colleges, CSUs, and UCs. Applying to universities without transferring can be challenging and competitive, with thousands of students having the same criteria as you, so you need to put in an effort to stand out.

“I was shocked when I got into UC Davis because it’s one of those competitive schools that barely anyone can get into,” explained Michael Arriaga, a senior at Noho. Arriaga plans on going into another school he got into, CSUN, and transferring from there to UCD, “I feel like it’s a smarter move to just transfer because UCD is going to be hard on me financially and I’m still deciding if I want to pursue a career in engineering or veterinary science.”

Whether you go to extend your education after high school or go into the workforce, we here at Noho support any decision you Huskies make along the way. It’s normal to be worried or confused about the future but we know you will make the right decision.