Tips and Tricks for Preparing for Life After High School
byConnections Academy
6 min to read
Planning for the future might seem daunting when you are still in high school. When graduating from high school, there seems like so much to do in addition to your schoolwork, including preparing for the jobs of the future and developing the skills you need to thrive as an adult.
As graduation day gets closer, how do you know if you’re really prepared for what comes after high school?
What to Do After High School
There's no way to know exactly what life after high school will look like. For many students, graduating high school means jumping right to college, technical or trade school, or going directly into the workforce. Other students may take a gap year to help them figure out what they want to do. Each person will be different, and there is no right or wrong choice, but if graduating high school gives you anxiety, or you are unsure where to begin, you can try breaking down your future-planning into a few basic categories: academic, professional, financial, and personal.
Planning for College or Other Higher Education Opportunities
There are so many tips for graduating seniors to consider for your plans for after high school that it can feel a little overwhelming to know where to begin. What career should you pursue? What education or training does that career require? Should you attend a four-year college or a two-year college? Is a technical or trade school a better option? How do you know what to do?
A good way to get your post-high school plans in order is with a thought exercise:
Activity: Find Your Skills and Goals
Start figuring out what kind of higher education opportunities are right for you by first thinking about your skills, reflecting on your interests and strengths, and considering your long-term goals and how different educational programs might align with them.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you want to go to a four-year college, a community college, or a technical/trade school?
Are there apprenticeships, career development programs, professional certificates, internships, or mentors you can take advantage of?
What skills do you want to learn or improve upon?
How long will you need to study before entering the workforce?
It can also help to reach out to school counselors teachers, and mentors for support in crafting a well-rounded plan. Don’t forget to stay flexible and open to new opportunities, as your academic path and priorities may evolve over time.
Career Planning for High School Students
Much like with educational planning, it’s important to assess where your skills and interests lie when considering future professions. While not every skill you have will lead to a profession you may want to pursue, your transferable and career-readiness skills—the ability to communicate effectively, work as part of a team, and think critically—can help build a resume and assess where your strengths are.
Additionally, seeking out advice from those already in professions you’re interested in or who might be able to get your foot in the door is a great step.
Activity: Think About Your Purpose
To carefully consider the path you want to take, it could be helpful to ask yourself some of these questions:
What field or industries hold interest for you?
Is there a specific profession you want to pursue?
Is it more important to make a lot of money, do what you enjoy, or to help other people?
If you could design the ideal job for you, what would it look like?
It’s important to continuously update and refine your plan as you gather more information about yourself and the job market.
Budgeting for Life After High School
One of the most important pieces of advice for high school graduates is to learn as much as you can about financial literacy. Opening up your own bank account, learning how to budget, and applying for a low-interest credit card to start building up your credit can seem daunting and overwhelming at first, but the good news is that you can start perfecting your financial literacy skills while you’re still in school. Start by creating a simple budget.
Activity: Practice Using a Budget
To test out your financial knowledge and to get an idea of your spending habits, monitor your spending for three months.
During the first month, just record what you normally earn, spend, and save so you can get an idea of what your habits are. Then ask yourself these questions at the end of each month:
Did you overspend?
How much did you save?
Did you accrue debt?
How much was left in your account at the end of the month?
During the second month, create a budget around your savings goals and average monthly expenses. Ask yourself those same questions and see if there are any areas where you could improve. This is a good opportunity to see if you overspend in one area or if you are on track to meet your savings goals.
When you reach month three, check if there have been any changes month to month. This activity can help teach you to start living within your means and spending mindfully, which can set you up for a financially healthy life after high school.
Work on Personal Development
What kind of person do you want to be? How do you want to grow as a person? What do you want your relationships to look like with others?
Life after high school comes with a lot of change and learning how to handle whatever comes your way is a key life skill that you can develop before graduation day. The ability to adapt and handle whatever comes your way is a crucial life skill—one that you can start building now. By focusing on personal growth, strengthening relationships, and developing resilience, you’ll be better prepared for the transition into adulthood.
Activity: Focus on Your Emotional Health
Some things to focus on when it comes to considering your emotional health and maturity are:
What makes you happy?
What inspires you?
How do you handle stress or bad news?
Are you able to handle conflict well?
What do you do to practice self-care?
You’ll meet all kinds of people and face so many new things once you graduate from high school that prioritizing your emotional wellness is vital to finding contentedness and having a positive self-image.
How Prepared are You for Life After High School?
As you start your senior year of high school, having a plan in place for your higher education, career, finances, and emotional well-being can help set you up for life after high school. Planning ahead may be scary, but by using these tips for graduating seniors can help make the path forward less uncertain and more exciting. It's okay to not have all the answers about the future right now, in fact anxiety about planning for the future is really common. Planning even just the first step towards the future can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and help you to feel empowered every step along the way.
Think you’re ready for life after high school? Take our quiz below.
Finish Your Senior Year of High School Online
If you’d like to get a jump start on your career, take courses over the summer to help graduate on time, or even just finish your senior year of high school online, enrolling in a Connections Academy-supported school may be the right choice for you. Download our free eGuide and speak with an enrollment specialist to learn more about how online high school can help prepare you for life after high school.
Ready to Learn More
About Connections Academy?
Explore the benefits of attending Connections Academy, a tuition-free, accredited online public school that’s passionate about helping your child thrive.
