\u201cWhere do you want to go to college?\u201d This may be the most dreaded topic of conversation for juniors and seniors in high school. As a society, we put so much pressure on the college decision (and sometimes forget that there are<\/span> other pathways<\/span><\/a> besides a four-year degree). We act as if kids must find the perfect fit to ensure all of their academic needs and extracurricular interests are met.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This all-or-nothing mindset, paired with the application process itself, makes the whole \u201cgrowing up thing\u201d quite daunting for a seventeen year old. Families and educators try to help by prompting students to complete their<\/span> Common App<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> request recommendation letters<\/span><\/a>, apply for<\/span> local internships<\/span><\/a>, and write application essays. These reminders, of course, are important; we want students to meet deadlines and choose majors specific to their passions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, if we really want future generations to be successful, we should instead ask about where they see themselves <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> those college years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whenever I asked my own students how they pictured their life in ten years, none of their answers involve crippling debt. Yet, if schools don\u2019t talk about paying for college and guide these kids through making<\/span> smart financial decisions<\/span><\/a>, that\u2019s exactly where they\u2019ll be, right alongside our current millennials. <\/span><\/p>\n