Up until now, making decisions usually involved your parents input, and sometimes other adults as well. Now it’s time to step up to the plate, though. Do your parents really know what you want in a college? You’ve matured so much over the last couple years, and it is absolutely crucial to keep your parents in the loop, but nobody can make this decision for you. Take the input your parents have, they will definitely have valuable words about college. But there are so many stories about kids that were smart and had the opportunity to go anywhere in the world, and ended up at a college they weren’t satisfied with because of their parents.

Your parents won’t be the ones moving into a dorm in the fall. They won’t be the ones taking classes, and spending endless hours studying to pass an exam. They won’t be the ones living with new people, making new friends, and finding where they fit in. So why allow them to take charge of your life and tell you where you can and can’t go to college? Allow them to help you with your decision. Make lists of pros and cons and share them with your parents. But in the end, let the decision be up to you.

There is an endless list of reasons as to why kids let their parents make this decision for them. The hardest situation to be in is when your parents are paying for all or part of your schooling, so they feel that because this is their investment, it is also their decision. But if you truly aren’t happy with where your parents are sending you, there are other options. Getting school paid for is a dream to any kid going to college. However, it might be worth it to take care of school yourself and be happy for the four years you are there. Student loans are always an option, and maybe you can convince your parents to cosign so that you get a better interest rate.

Another problem kids find themselves in is parents laying the guilt trip on them about not ever seeing them once they leave for college. College is a time to grow up and move out and on to bigger and better things. Knowing that home is only twenty minutes away isn’t pushing you out into the real world enough. With your parents that close, you can always turn to them no matter the situation. Having your parents around is not a bad thing, and being able to lean on them is something that a lot of kids envy. But you will face challenges when you reach college that are meant to test your inner strength and maturity to help you reach your personal best in every aspect of life. You can’t let your parents pick your class schedule and who you sit with at lunch anymore.

I don’t want to make it sound like I’m trying to eliminate your parents from your life. You will always want to have them around, and you should always be able to turn to them. You just have to remember that you will not always be living with them and they will not always be supporting you financially, and college is the perfect opportunity to get on your feet and learn how to fend for yourself.