Author – Unique Jones
Contributing Editor
EDU, Inc. Black College Source Magazine

It’s near the end of your senior year. Congratulations will soon be in order as you will be a member of the graduating class of 2009. I know the last thing on your mind is going to class, state tests, college applications, test scores, and all the things that comes along with being a senior. You are definitely deep into senioritis. Instead, you would rather think about prom, senior trips, parties and all the fun and exciting things that come along with being a senior.

Soon the Grammy style night of prom, full of fashion, lights and cameras will pass. That senior trip with friends will be over. Before you know it, you will look to your right and left at the friends that you have been with since freshman year, turning your tassel and walking across the stage at graduation. You will be the star in your family and friends eyes. You will attend the end of the year graduation parties, reminisce about the good times and say to yourself “Wooow, I am so glad high school is over.”

Wake up Class of 2009!  Somewhere you got lost in the glitz and glamour of your senior year and forgot about life after high school. Your “high school” friend’s conversations have now shifted to dorm life, moving to another city, and experiencing college life. They transitioned into “college students” while you didn’t.  Now you are in panic mode and completely stressed out because the big question is “What do I do now?”

Some will go off to college and begin their future careers, some will go to a vocational or technical college, and some will get a job and work. It is your decision! The point is…have a plan.

Plan what you want to do with your life and where you see yourself in the next five years before it is too late. If you want to go to college, it is not too late to fill out those college applications. If you have not taken the SAT or ACT tests, sure you may have to pay a late fee, but in the end it is still worth it. For those of you that may have missed the deadline for the college you are most interested in attending, or you may not be eligible for admissions, do not give up.

If you miss the deadline, you can always start in the Spring. If you do not meet the admissions requirements and you are adamant about getting into that specific school, work on getting your grades up at a community college and transferring into your dream college another semester. At least you have now earned some college credits. No matter what, as long as you have a plan, you are still on the road to success. Stay positive and Congratulations Class of 2009!

Please tell us about your experiences and what you have done to prepare yourself for life after graduation.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2009! What do you do now?