High school is the beginning of an adventure. It’s a time of milestones. Milestones like prom, getting a driver’s license, or being in your first relationship. And, making quite possibly the biggest decision of your life: college. College is the second leg in the journey.

College seems great; you get to become independent and experience new places, new people, and new situations. But that’s when you get there. Planning for college and deciding on a major can be super stressful.

Especially if you don’t have a definite idea on the career you want to do for the rest of your life. College is expensive, so taking courses that don’t end up contributing to the final goal can be disadvantageous for students. Student loans are already a burden for many graduates, and adding more money on top of that for classes that didn’t even help is annoying.

Also, not being sure of your major can make it difficult to commit to a college. Some colleges specialize in certain career fields, like Johns Hopkins or Harvard Law School. Going to specialized colleges may help to receive better job opportunities and education.

And yes, the name of the college you attend doesn’t mean everything, but it will still have an influence on future bosses. A well-known college looks better on a résumé. It’s similar to brand names; would you rather have an old Nokia flip phone or a brand new iPhone X?

There is also stress with people who don’t want to go to college. It has been ingrained in the minds of high school students that they need to go to college in order to be successful in life, but college isn’t for everyone. People who have decided that they don’t want to waste money on college are persuaded by teachers, counselors, and parents to rethink.

Looking forward to the future and planning out college and careers can make you want to pull your hair out. The sad part is that that amount of stress shouldn’t be piled on to students. The colleges students choose to attend shouldn’t have such an impact on the rest of their lives. And if there is, teachers and parents need to give them breathing room to make their own decisions without outside influences.

Tuition costs should also be lower. That way, students wouldn’t be so afraid of choosing the wrong major or the wrong college. There wouldn’t be so much pressure to make the perfect choice the first time and they would be able to learn from their experiences.

College isn’t the final stop. It’s just another part of the trip that students should be able to enjoy. Enjoy the new milestones college offers and the new experiences. Being hounded by the fear of making the wrong choice and how the rest of the future will pan out prevents that. So, college shouldn’t be seen as a bump in the road, or the end of the line; it should be seen as a chance to explore what there is to experience.