In life generally there is a lot of pressure on us educationally, personally, culturally, societally, with our family, and many other areas of our life. It can be overwhelming trying to meet all those expectations and respond to all that pressure. Something I learned when I got older was that you can’t make everyone happy or satisfy everyone. There is always going to be someone disappointed in the decisions you may make. Which is rightfully so because they love you and want whats best for you. But who knows you better than yourself? College may not be for everyone or someone may feel like taking a gap year. That’s okay. Try to figure out what you want to do in life and what path you want to take. Have you asked yourself, “do I want to go to college? If I don’t go, what will I do? Do I have a plan B? If I want to go to college, when and where do I want to go? Life is journey. You will have highs and lows. Try shifting the perspective from “failing” to “this is a learning experience for me.” If it doesn’t work the first time, you know what not to do to get the same result. Be patient, understanding and nice to yourself. You got this! I’m rooting for you!

-Shankel