College is a word that many tend to ignore, but college can change and determine your path in life. The hardest decision about college is, first, knowing what college you want to go to and what is best for you; secondly, if you want to stay instate or out of state; and, three, what career are you pursuing?

College is a big step in life, but being prepared is what’s going to help you the most. Kids don’t realize that the main point of high school is to get you ready for college, yet students still tend to push it off. Students need to be ready for all aspects of college, mainly the cost. About 44.2 million Americans have student loan debt and about 1.44 trillion dollars are spent all on student loans. Lisa Lawley, former Broomfield Eagle (class of 2007), has been paying her student loans since 2011: “I will definitely be paying my student loans for another thirty years,” she said.

There are also scholarships to be on the lookout for. Students can get all sorts of scholarships for anything they want, but being prepared and planning ahead is necessary in order to do so. For athletic scholarships, college coaches expect you to be emailing and planning your college career for your sport from the start of middle school. How do you know this? Starting to look for athletic scholarships your senior year is a no go. Although there are students who do end up getting scholarships while doing their preparation last minute, the scholarship process is generally harder and longer.

Graduation is intended to prepare you for the next step. For example, elementary school prepares you for middle school, middle school prepares you for high school, high school prepares you for college, and college prepares you for the life you will live after — all the learning you did to help you succeed in life. College is another step, another learning course, and another chapter in your life that will prepare you for what comes next.

Don’t take your planning lightly. If there’s one thing you shouldn’t procrastinate, it’s thinking about and taking action towards where you’ll be spending some of the most important years of your life.