The clock is ticking for the class of 2016 as the National Decision Day approaches. With less than a month until May 1, seniors begin to feel the pressure to determine what their future will hold.

Not only are seniors compiling materials for their senior portfolios in English, they are also choosing which college they want to spend the next four years of their life at. However, the process of selecting a college does not end after a school is chosen.

After the decision is made, students pick classes, living quarters and all the other aspects that follow moving on to a new chapter of life. For those students attending state schools, they also must register to take the EPT/ELM tests to help determine which math and English classes they will be placed in.

For many seniors, this is one of the hardest and most important decisions they make throughout their high school career. New York Times revealed that only 65.9% of high school graduates enrolled for college, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014.

With more than 30% of high school graduates not attending college, causes for this range from the cost to fear of failure. Scholarships.com wrote about the most common reasons why graduates do not enroll for college. One of the most familiar reasons is the cost of going to college.

Big Future by The College Board found that the average cost of tuition and fees at a public two-year college is $3,347, public college for in-state students is $9,139 and out-of-state students is $22,958 and a private four year college is $31,231. If a student is left to pay for college on their own, that is a lot of money for a young adult, especially without a job.

The flipside to this is that some graduates have already obtained a job and earn a good sum of money. However, making money in high school is different compared to making money later in life. As an adult, bills for things such as gas, home ownership, groceries and insurance begin to pile up. To pay these expenses requires a professional, well-paid, which often requires some type of degree these days.

Another reason Scholarships.com offered as to why graduates reject going to college is because they have not figured out what they want to do with their life. However, the truth is that most people who attend college have not figured out what they want. That is the great thing about college because students can change their minds.

College is the time for students to discover themselves and experience life outside of high school. Although the expenses are significant and the stress takes its tole, college also provides freedom and opportunity.

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This writer can be reached via Twitter: @_OliviaLoren_ and via email: Olivia Quebe.

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