A must-read for high school students, especially in COVID times. Looks at all options from community college to university to military service to going straight to work. A truly agnostic look at the options.

Sadly my phone which I was using to read this book screen had broken and so sadly I couldn't finish the book because it was past the archive date and I couldn't download it onto a different device. I only got a chapter or so read but the storyline was hooking, I really wished I could of finished this book.

This is a compilation of advice on the different paths that a current high school student can follow after graduation. The book takes you through many options, including College/University, taking a gap year, joining the military, volunteering, civil service, etc.

The first section really encourages you to get to know yourself, your temperament and personality. Your temperament and personality determine how you deal with certain situations, and if you understand those aspects of yourself more, the better equipped you'll be in making decisions that affect your life and future.

I really liked that I didn't get a sense of pressure to pick any certain path from this book. I tend to stay far away from "self-help" books because I do not like being told what to do with my life and where I should be at a certain age. I definitely prefer something like this, where all of the information is presented in a non-biased way, and I get to make the decisions for myself without being pressured or lectured into a certain path. I also liked all the helpful resources that are provided throughout the book. There a quite a few interjected anecdotes about famous people and some from non-famous people that give you a mini-biography, or a tiny piece of advice. I always enjoying hearing about and relating to other people's experiences.

I'm also a big fan of how updated this feels. COVID is happening, whether you believe it or not (can't believe I have to say that), and it is making a huge impact on how education is being handled across the nation. It's also changing the job field. A lot of people have learned new hobbies in quarantine, or they learned that online learning is something they aren't capable of, or they learned a new skill, or they took some much needed time to themselves to figure things out. I, personally, have been watching a lot of TV. Let's face it, we can't all be great. I think the pandemic increases the importance of a book like this. Our future feels more uncertain than it ever has and these terrifyingly big decisions still have to be made.

Although less helpful to me (a person who has already graduated from a 4 year liberal arts college with a Bachelor's in English), I would definitely give this to my little sister, who is about to start her junior year of high school. Even though a lot of the guidance is too little, too late for me, I was still able to hear some much needed advice. I'm able to look back on what I did end up doing, and realize why certain things did or didn't work out so well for me. I've also learned more about my personality and how to match that with potential jobs in the future.

I wish I had this book when I was a junior in high school. I think I would have strongly considered and probably greatly benefited from a productive gap-year before beginning college. Oh, well.

Happy reading!