You are in control!

• Parents and caregivers can sometimes have an opinion about education pathways. Maybe mom was in the military and wants her daughter to do the same. Maybe Uncle Jack started his career in an apprenticeship and is advocating for that path. Family and friends can be wonderful resources and may have good information to share with you - but ultimately it is your decision. And, you want it to be the one that is right for you.

Use your network.

• Talk to family and adult friends to find out what it took to get into their careers. Who or where can you go for unbiased advice or informed opinions about your education pathway options?

Don't wait!

• Researching options and beginning to ask questions before your senior year will help to ensure that you find the option that is the best fit. Plus, it will make senior year a LOT less stressful. After viewing the videos on this site, talk with your school counselor about the questions these videos have raised for you and start exploring now.

Start with the end in mind.

• Choosing where you want to go to college first and then picking a career path later on is backwards and can end up costing you lots of time and money. First, think about the general career area(s) that you think would be a good fit for you and THEN explore the education pathways that will get you there. There are lots of stories about people who enrolled in a four year college, only to drop out when they decided to pursue a career that required a Registered Apprenticeship or Technical College degree. Unfortunately, the student loan debt from the years at a four year college doesn't go away if you change your mind later.

But, it's also important to keep an open mind.

• On the other hand, whichever education pathway you choose after high school, you will learn so much about yourself and the careers you can eventually pursue... you don't want to box yourself in. It's good to have a general idea about the career area(s) you are interested in, but don't close the door to other options that may come up later and turn out to be EVEN BETTER.

How do you like to learn?

• When choosing the education pathway that will lead you to your career, it's really important to think about how you like to learn. Do you learn best in a traditional classroom setting? Or do you need to put your learning into action in a more hands-on way? A four year college pathway tend to work best for those who like traditional classroom learning. Military and registered apprenticeship pathways are great options for hands-on learners. And technical college pathways often offer a combination of each!

Have a conversation about finances and a budget.

• Joe, Alexa, Lauren and Gwen each took different education pathways for a number of different reasons. Some of them were related to money. It's important to think about the cost when choosing your education pathway. You might be surprised to learn how affordable some of the education pathways can be! Also keep in mind that the sticker price of education isn't always the same as what you will end up paying. For example, Wisconsin Private Colleges offered over $600 million dollars in grants in 2022, and UW System undergraduates received more than $1 billion in financial aid in 2020-21, including more than $500 million in grants. If a four year college pathway is your choice, research the possible ways to pay for it. Talk with your family or caregiver about what you need to consider from a financial perspective as you make your education pathway choice.

Question your assumptions.

• Often we make assumptions about different education pathways. Sometimes people view technical college or registered apprenticeship pathways as less valuable than a four year college pathway. But, for many people, a four year college pathway isn't the right fit for them. What are some assumptions that you hold about each of the education pathways? How can you find out if your assumptions are really true? You may ask a friend/family member what they know about a four year college path or an apprenticeship path. Or talk to your school counselor. And of course you can revisit the videos and resources provided for each education pathway on this site. What did you learn about assumptions and the reality of each pathway?