Are you self-sufficient? Have you thought about how much money you will be making in the next four years? Five years ago, when I was thirteen, I joined the workforce and made the conscious decision of making my own money.. My very first job at McDonalds was nothing spectacular when I was working for minimum wage. This was not a career that I aspired to, but I found a way to make the best of it.  I knew early on in my life that things aren’t just handed to you because you must work hard for success.

When I started accumulating money and filling my bank account every week close friends of mine started to take note and realize that everything I told about having my own money was what they also wanted. This was a significant moment in my life because most of my friends got everything they wanted from their parents and they never worked a day in their lives.

This actually made me a little jealous because I wanted nice things but was way too proud to take from my parents and I wanted to be independent. I went through numerous jobs during my high school career. I showed consistency by staying at any job I had for at least a year. With each job that I had, I continued to make more money. It is very easy for teenagers to take advantage of the constant support that their parents provide, just because they have a job. However, this fact does not mean they are necessarily ready to go out in the world and support themselves.

Many teens take advantage of the fact that they are not responsible for paying rent, phone bills, and sometimes for buying their own clothes. These are expenses covered by their parents which isn’t necessarily bad, but it is an issue to be aware of. As you are making your transition from adolescence to young adulthood,  parents will not always be there to help alleviate all the costs. At some point you are going to need to figure out what it is like to support yourself and be independent.

As of January 1st, 2015 minimum wage in Massachusetts was raised from $8.00 an hour to a whopping $9.00 an hour. While this minor change reflects progression, there is still major changes that need to be accomplished. I find it unreasonable that $9.00 an hour is considered a reasonable amount to live on. This brings me back to what I previously stated: Have you thought about exactly how much money you will be making in the next four years? Statistics have shown that a lot of jobs are at your disposal when you have a college degree.

Graduating high school and entering the workforce is a very real option for a lot of students. This is not to say that getting a college education is for everybody but working for minimum wage at McDonalds, for example, isn’t ideally the best career choice. Some adolescents are able to leave high school with the tools needed to successfully pursue a good career. In addition, if you attended a vocational high school then you were able to take advantage of the preparation provided to indulge in careers such as plumbing and being an electrician.

This is not to say that these are bad jobs, as long as you are able to make a sufficient amount of
money. If these jobs keep you financially stable and most of all happy, then go for it!  Many adolescents feel very limited attending a university right out of high school because they may already pursue a job in the technology field without a degree. This proves to be very successful
For young teens who chose to follow this path, and are currently young successful tech engineers. The unfortunate aspect of this is that having a career so young can make you feel socially isolated. Those who are eighteen in such careers have co-workers who may be twenty one plus.

This makes building friendships in the workplace difficult because you are not at the same point in your life as these older workers are. The young high school graduate is a essentially a kid.  Attending college gives you the opportunity to build these long lasting friendships and potentially enter a field of work with someone you become close with while studying in the college atmosphere.

Overall, college is a step in the right direction in order to solidify proper income for the future. You are making an investment now that will help you long term pursue a career that is specifically tailored to your interests. If you do not attend college, more than likely, you will become engaged in a career that presents you with a mere minimum wage income. I encourage all adolescents to at least explore the possibility of college because sadly working at McDonalds while trying to support yourself making $9 an hour, will remain your only financial goal.