The Final Destination by Danielle

The Final Destination by Danielle - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Knowing what I know now there are many things that I would have done differently if I were giving some advice when I was younger. There are many things that you do not think about while you are still in high school. Do not get me wrong there are the obvious things, such as; which school you want to go to, what major you think you might want to study, etc., but what a lot of young students do not take into consideration is the "where is this degree going to get me in life", "is it going to be easy to find a job right after graduation?", and "is a bachelors degree going to be good enough?". These are just a few things I wish someone would have told me to consider when choosing a college major.
Some of the best advice I could give to a young student would be, do your research before you commit to a degree. It is very important to have a plan, and also a plan B. Before spending thousands of dollars on a degree do a job search to see what some of the qualifications are. How much education is actually required? Do you need experience? Is there any jobs that you can get prior to graduation that will give you experience or at least an upper hand when applying for the "big kid" job? Try and get as much information pertaining to the job, or degree, that you want to pursue after graduation. This will allow you to financially plan for your future education and also give you a map through the maze to the finish line. Keep in mind this is coming from a person with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health, who is now going back to school for nursing!
In conclusion, I believe that this is the best advice that an "old lady" like myself can give to a younger student. I wish someone would have told me to look into the requirements for my dream job before I jumped into a degree program and career that is not in high demand and requires experience. I feel that this advice will change the career path for some and allow others to tackle huge obstacles from a different angle. I am not telling students that they should not pursue their dreams however I feel that the famous actor James Dean said it best, " I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." By doing a little bit a research prior to committing to a college major, you can make any necessary adjustments required and reach your final destination.