As graduation approaches, students become more and more stressed about what steps to take next. But going to college after high school doesn’t have to be your only option.

Former East Leyden student Joey Velez was completely undecided about what steps to take after high school. Once Velez graduated high school, he started working at Robert Half in Rosemont. However, as time passed by Velez decided he wanted to go back to school and study business or medicine. Velez is currently deciding between colleges, but definitely knows he wants to go back. Velez stated, “I’m glad I worked before I went to college because I got a lot experience with the real world.” In addition, Velez believes that going to college does not have to be the next step right after high school. “I think that students worry so much about going to college, but they don’t understand that there’s other opportunities as well.”

Senior, Agnes Belski is unsure about her next few steps in life, however she does have a couple things in mind. Once Belski graduates high school she plans on continuing to work in order to save up money. Belski currently works at the Rosemont mall where she hopes to continue working, but she’s also interested in looking at finding other jobs such as being a babysitter. Belski does still consider going to college in a year or two. The reason she’s taking some time off is because “college is expensive and I can’t afford a student loan.” Thus, Belski is planning to continue working and decide what her next steps are in a couple of years.

Planning your next steps after high school can be a bit stressful, which is why there are other opportunities other than college. If college isn’t the right fit for you right after graduation, working could be. However, as time passes by most people consider going back to school. Statistics reveal that between 2000 and 2012, the 18- to 24-year-old population rose from approximately 27.3 million to approximately 31.4 million. These statistics clearly demonstrate that over the years more and more students are going back to school after graduating high school. Therefore, taking time off and learning about how the real world works could be the next step for you. However, don’t forget the possibility of going back to school after being throughout a lot of experience.