Choose the right college. Go to the best college. Don’t mess up this decision. After long years of schooling and striving for excellence, there finally comes the time that you’ve been waiting for. College. For some people that means finally getting out of arm’s-reach of overly protective parents. For others that means deciding which of the ten thousand possible career options to shoot for. But for all students looking into schooling beyond high school, that means the pressure of choosing which campus you will call yours.

While making this tough choice, be sure to take a minute and think about yourself. Think about your identity and what makes you comfortable. It may be in-state, out of state, a university, or community college, and all of those are okay. College is said to be the time of your life, but who has fun going to a party that they are uncomfortable at? College is like a party. Lots of kids get together, joined at a single place to grow and mature as humans and have fun.

Although studying and starting your career are a large part of college, you do not need to be at the fanciest, most expensive, most well-known school out there. The best way to learn the tricks of any trade is to do it somewhere that clicks with you. So while shooting for the stars and hoping for Harvard is great, be careful not to get caught up in who is going to the “best” college. There is no pressure to be at an Ivy League school if community college is what works best with your individual needs. Choose the right college, not the “best”.