When you enter high school, you’ll begin to hear questions like “What would you do after high school?” or “Will you attend college or not?”

This question will be in your mind for years until junior or senior year, when it becomes relevant again and a choice has to be made. Continue school and go into college and get a degree that will help your career. Or go straight to the workforce and pursue the job that you dream of. Or maybe do both and go for a trade, learning how to do the job and working in the job you’ll be taking a class on.

There are many options to go for after high school; here are some options to choose from.

College

College is the popular path that graduates take after high school. Taking classes that will suit their career path or help them with their career. Also a good time for personal growth, which can include pursuing internships, learning new skills, managing finances, and exploring independence.

• The Pros of College

The advantage of going to college can help you learn the subject and become an expert at it. And after college many companies would like to hire you with your skill on the subject. Or creating your own business. 

• The Cons of College

But the disadvantages can be heavy; paying for college is more expensive. The average college tuition for four years in the US is over 100,000 dollars. This tuition is higher than the average US citizen’s salary of $66,622 dollars. In order to pay for college tuition, you can have your parents pay for it. Or the most common option is getting a student loan to pay for the tuition. And pay off the student loan debt during college and after college. This option for after high school is the most popular, but you have a clear plan on what you want to do in college ahead of time.

Trade School

  Going the path of trade school is more hands-on than college. Trade schools offer specialized programs that prepare students for careers in certain industries. For example (electrician, plumber, mechanic, dental hygienist, or veterinary technician)

• The Pros of Trade School

The advantages of going to trade school is being able to be hand-on in the job you want to go into. While learning the job in a classroom before heading out to the worksite to practice what you learn or sometimes you go to a real jobsite and work with the veterans. The price for a 4-year term in trade school can range from 5,000 to 15,000 dollars. This is much lower than a 4-year college tuition, an $85,000 difference between both prices. Trade schools offer shorter terms (2–years terms). Having a faster education system to get you in an entry-level position. In trade school, classes are smaller than college classes. With a smaller class, students are able to have more one-on-one interaction with the teacher.

• The Cons of Trade School

The disadvantages of going to a trade school is limited career growth. The trade skills are in demand, but the trade jobs don’t come with the next steps for your career. When a group of students graduate, they study the same field. It becomes difficult to find a job in that field with all this competition.  Having a short term learning experience can be difficult at times, when schedules are extremely busy. Having fewer free days compared to college break days. This can be overwhelming for students and have a negative impact on their focus during class.

Apprenticeship

  An apprenticeship is a structured program that can help you learn essential skills to prepare you for a certain job (Construction, Engineering, Healthcare). A normal apprenticeship program includes both guided training and practical experience. In many cases, apprentices are just beginning their careers.

• The Pros of Apprenticeship

Some apprenticeships qualify you to advance to another position. Others may give you a professional credential upon completion. You can also add your resume to qualify for other companies. Apprenticeships provide regular paychecks and may compensate you more than many similar jobs do. If you’re still uncertain about which job to go for then you still do an apprenticeship to see whether or not the job is fitting for you. The time you need to finish an apprenticeship is quite short compared to college and trade school, only having to do the apprenticeship for a year. The reason for this short amount of time is you will be only learning the basics of the job you chose.

• The Cons of Apprenticeship

Since apprenticeship programs are so structured, they commonly prepare you for a narrowly defined career path or even one specific job. As a result, they may not provide you with a huge range. Although apprenticeships are almost always paid programs, they may provide significantly smaller paychecks than what’s typical for a fully qualified professional in the same field. This is common for apprenticeship programs to give low pay since you’re doing the basic work of the job.