The sun is shines into his room, making his eyes squint. He stretches his arms and legs with a smile on his face. The clock read 8:00 a.m in the morning, yet he takes his time getting out of his soft comfortable bed. Suddenly, he remembers how last semester this time he would be rushing to get ready because he would be late to his classes at  high school. He lets out a quiet laugh thinking he could take all the time in the world getting ready because his class at the College of Lake County doesn’t start until 10:00 a.m.

But some students are going through this process earlier than others. Graduating early allow students to get a head into their career goals.

“Graduating early is a good option for students who have met the high school graduation requirements and are looking to move forward with their higher education goals,” said  counselor  Megan Sternberg.

Graduating early also gives an opportunity for those who want to save money to go to university of their choice in the fall through working during the semester off.

“Graduation early is beneficial because it can give students a head start on their college credits. If they choose to attend CLC, they are saving money because they can get some of their general education requirements done at a lower cost as compared to the university. There is also a scholarship opportunity at CLC for early grads,” Stenberg said .

Most students tend to quit school altogether during their semester break and just focus on their job to earn money. It is their go to plan because they need to make money for the university.

“ It is not recommended to stop their schooling and take a break because if their goal to attend college eventually, it is better to keep going and not stop. Once students stop taking courses, it is very hard to get back into the swing of things. Through community college  students can work while taking classes to save money for fall semester in the university of their choice,” Stenberg said.

Graduating early allows students to earn money and be financially stable before going to college. He is a full time student but also work as a part time worker. His hours can differ from 20 to 25.

“Currently, I’m working with Kohl’s and I plan on continuing that while doing school,” said senior Brandon Moore.

Students decide to go to work for a semester instead of staying in high school because they want to be stable financially.

“I need the money in order to go to the school I want to go to so that played a major factor in why I plan to work,” Moore said.

Early graduates get a head start in their life when they decide to graduate early.

“I’m going to graduate early just to get a headstart in life and I feel that I don’t need to be here if I know I’m prepared for college,” Moore said.

However, it very important for students to have some kind of an idea before thinking about graduating early.

“I suggest students who are graduating early to make sure they have a plan for their off time”said senior Zaria Quick.

Also,  it is beneficial for students who graduate early because they can explore the world for the choice of job they want to commit to, and it can help them because different jobs will give them

perspective and a sense of where their interests lay.

“It beneficial to graduate early rather than to remain in high school so you can make money to save for college,” Quick said.

In the end, all it matters is what career path students  pick in college because they will be stuck with that  degree and  job for the rest

“The career advice I share with others pick a job that you like and can make a decent amount of money from it,” Quick said.