Planning life after high school isn’t easy: 4 tips for students and their families Many high school seniors are now focusing on what they will do once they graduate — or on the fact that they don’t at all know what is to come. Families trying to guide and support these students at the juncture of a major life transition likely also feel nervous about the open-ended possibilities, including starting at a standard four-year college or not attending college at all. Writing in The Conversation, Purdue University psychology professor Shannon Pickett, a mental health counselor, shares four tips to help make deciding what comes after high school a little easier for everyone involved.