I will graduate high school in a few days and i just wanted to know what happens after, like friends, job, school, sorta thing

That's a good question, I'm about to as well

HAH! I've got another year still. ;-)

From what my older brother has done, just don't get married to the wrong person, i.e. someone who just wants your money/steals your stuff/turns you into her servant. Then, the costs for rings, marriages, her student loans, etc. aren't there even after she's gone. But other than that, have fun I guess!!

After high school, don't chase after people. You'll begin to lose friends who go separate ways and don't bother to stay connected with the people they grew up with for 14 years. You end up being stressed and become tensed when you worry about the wrong thing.

If you're going to college, make sure you're persuing something you're going to enjoy in the long run and never be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions will take you a long way in life and provide you a majority of the help you'll need. Don't overload yourself with course work to where you cant handle it. If you're a music major, ask questions, a lot of them. Become friends with students who have been there longer than you to get the idea of how the music department works. I had 9 classes my freshman year and I wish I had someone I go to for help with classes, especially theory. I wound up dropping out because I didn't learn nor manage ways to deal with the course load and stress.

Working is another story, if you're going to school, there are plenty of opportunities on campus that will be a good sours of income and they definitely work around your class schedule. If you're financially sound, the best thing you could do is start finding internships based around your major. There are still employers that want you to have 1-2 years experience with a career even with a degree. If you're not attending school, don't settle for a minimum wage job. Find something that pays good so you can receive good medical/dental insurance.

Just remember you're still a teenager and things are going to get tough, but as long as you have a plan to tackle your situation, it's manageable. Always find times to have fun and don't take life so seriously for that short period of time.

If you don't want to go to college, I'd encourage you to at least give it some thought. I'm 23 years old stuck working at a factory job for the past 3.5 years I absolutely do not enjoy working 12 hour days. Everyday I wish I would have worked out my problems and never dropped out of school, because at this point I would be in a classroom teaching music with a degree on the wall instead of working a factory job. I don't have the luxury of moving back in with my parents solely because they don't want me there and my siblings have moved in so even though I'm attempting to go back to college, it's just a harder situation that I have to deal with. Go to school while you can even if it's just for an associates degree.

I was halfway asleep when I wrote this, so don't judge. Haha. It's just a reference of what I had to deal with 4 years ago.

Thank you for your input, scooter. I cannot state well enough that I wish you the absolute best with your situation and that I hope your dreams on becoming a music educator will become a reality one way or the other. You've hit a major chord with me especially on the fact that chasing people who simply don't want to be a part of your life anymore is futile. I'm already seeing that occur in what I thought was a tight family in my graduating class of seniors.

I might add here that if you can honestly see yourself as a music educator or performer and have the support of either your family or an outside benefactor (i.e. distant wealthy relatives, scholarships, etc.) or both, then pursue that avenue with zeal. The world needs musicians and those who can instill the importance of music to the next generations. However, if you know you do not have the support you need to pursue your dreams as a music educator or performer, then do not stubbornly pursue it without giving it serious thought on how you can support yourself in terms of finances, living, etc. while pursuing your dreams.

I know that I cannot pursue a music major either in composition, performance, or education because I do not have the support I need from my family and I unfortunately doubt myself heavily if I could really commit myself to the major. That's why I'm pursuing Chem/Pharmacy instead because I know that if I DO succeed in this path, I can not only assure myself a stable livelihood, but also support any future ambitions in music that are of my own, or even, if I am blessed with this, my future children.

If anything, don't give up on music. Ever. Even in my case, I'm going to find a way to still play, whether that be in the form of a local ensemble, etc.

You can do so too.

Thanks for the wise words scooter and REM. Scooter, I hope you return to college, have a great time, and graduate with a degree that will help you get an enjoyable career. And I hope that you, REM, will find many ways to continue pursuing music. The world needs culture as much as it needs science, business, and law.

For myself, I'm also heading off to college (University of Texas). Definitely don't overload yourself with classes the first semester. I would say no more than 15/16 hours. Get accustomed to the course load, and from there, do more or less things as needed. Also, get the most out of your college experience. Join a few organizations and make connections. Don't just sit in your dorm all day- do things that you'll enjoy, things that will energize you.

Many of us are on the same boat. We're young adults, trying to make a name for ourselves in a crazy world. There isn't much else I can say- I'm learning, just like the rest of you. But what I say stands true. Don't stress yourself out, and have fun. After all, life is what you make of it.

I'm sure the older folks on this forum have more advice for us.

Agreed with, well everyone.

Halfway through college, you'll be taking classes in your major that will literally be like "Cranked to 11" "Maximum Effort" like in your field of study, whatever it may be. That's the point at which people usually figure out... "Is what I like doing, what I want to do in the future, really worth all this extra time outside of the class room, these papers and stuff, worth doing all of this tedious work, etc" if you kw you're going to really do it, really want to do it, then the answer is yes, but, if you find out there is something that you enjoy doing even more, especially in your first two or three years, that you wouldn't mind writing a multipager on, then, it's not a bad thing to switch out. Professors want people to actually put forth effort in their field of study, and don't expect everyone that came into the major the first year to stay in the major their last year. Some, at least at my college, from what a roomie told me, even admit to wanting us to get our money's worth, and not waste our time on something we won't even try at (a Yoda quote would be relevant here).

I knew a lot of people go in thinking they're going to do one thing, be in one major, and end up doing another major and being really freakin awesome at it.

Now the Frat thing, my old roomie was in a fraternity, and he really loved it. Yeah some people bash it as "Paying for friends" but he said it's "Paying for things you and your friends want to do," like hosting events, charities, concerts, national level conventions and scholarship things..., retreats, housing, in some cases. Use your instincts if you ever decide to find a fraternity. There are a number of Music Fraternities at some Universities, apparently my former Band Director was in one.

If you do go to a collegiate level party, don't leave your beverage unattended, like, ever..., if you don't know if you did or not, get a new cup. know and trust at least three or four people at the party. If you think about doing something that you know is stupid at said party, then don't do it.

Get a part time job that you can at least tolerate at somepoint, so you can have spending money, also apply for scholarships or other money like things, you can still do that stuff while in college, as far as I know,