The blank canvas we call the future sits ahead of me. It is worth looking forward to, but to tell you the truth, it scares me.

    What’s so exciting about this unknown abyss?

    Independence is something most teenagers look forward to. For me, it’s the chance to be on my own and call my own shots. But with independence comes decision-making. These decisions evolve from the trivial dinner and wardrobe choices to decisions that have a direct impact on my future.

    My pallet of colors is so varied that I am overwhelmed with choices; what am I supposed to put on this canvas?

    Society has put into my head that I need to know what I want to do, and because of this, it makes me wonder if I am on the right track so far in my junior year.

    Administrators, parents, basically anyone I look up to have brainwashed my generation: from the first day of school, my future needs to be planned out as soon as possible.

    There are so many different roads for me to take once I graduate, but people seem to think the decision is so simple. The future is something I need to give thought to, and I should not be rushed. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do after I graduate, and if you’re a passenger in my boat, I’m trying to help you out a little.

    For indecisive people like me, we have a few options. This first choice will most likely end in failure or lead to more work in the future. If I attend a university with no idea where I am going, then I won’t be focused. In the long run, this temporary loss of direction will lead to distractions, i.e. partying.

    Also, universities are usually more expensive. If I’m not focused, what’s the point in racking up the student loans? Personally, I don’t want to spend $7,000 or more to "make up my mind."

    My next option is more desirable. If at a certain point I have a few careers in mind, gaining job experience is a good way to start. Getting out in the work field by myself or even a job shadow could help me find a passion.

    If worse comes to worse, I would have the opportunity to get out of Muskegon. College, contrary to popular belief, isn’t the only way to go. Even if I decide to stay closer to home, there’s still hope. We have resources, like community college, here.

    General credits are required to graduate no matter which road I decide to take. Yes, the credits are tapered if I know my major, but general credits are general; I have to take them. This opportunity gives me the chance to research what I want to do, which may lead to a decision.

    This choice also helps those like me who are paying their own way through college. Student loans aren’t stacked up as high with a community college. Universities are almost, if not more than, $10,000 more than community college. Saving a few bucks here can benefit in the long run.

    Before this year, thinking about being in the "big people world" was the most terrifying thing in my mind. However, once I started thinking, it wasn’t the "big people world" that scared me, it was the thought of not being prepared to be in it.

    I’ve come to realization that we don’t have to decide so quickly. With all the colors on my pallet blurred together, I can make so many different pictures of my personal future.

    The decision is going to be one of the first big ones I make, and being rushed into it isn’t going to make it any easier. So, for those who are feeling like you were the only one who hasn’t started painting yet, think again because most likely the person next to you hasn’t either.