In spring of senior year, the question asked by Aunt Laura, your boss, your math teacher, even your garbage man is usually, “Where are you going to college?” Not, “What are you doing after high school?”

This unwavering question fosters a stigma attached to students whose plans – whether a gap year, community college, the armed forces, employment, etc. – don’t include attending a four-year university.

The dishonor sometimes associated with anything other than the “traditional” four-year college is inherent in our community. Most of us grew up in households where going to college is expected and other options are rarely discussed and barely taken seriously.

Our money-centered society promotes a mindset that public or private colleges are the best and only choices.

You’ve heard the NCC jokes in the hallway, you’ve read them on Facebook and you may have even made the joke after you failed a test, “I’ll just go to NCC.”

While it is true that over 90 percent of Staples students continue their education at a four-year university, community college is also a viable option for many students. In fact, in the past three years, 37 Staples students have gone to NCC, while only 28 have gone to Tulane University, according to Naviance.

If you wish to attend a four-year university but presently cannot afford the admission costs, going to community college for two years and then transferring to a different school can be a wise way to save money. Adding to the benefits, Connecticut community college graduates with at least a 3.0 GPA are guaranteed admission to UCONN.

However, maybe finances are not what drive you to attend community college.  Maybe you just don’t feel the need to go to a four-year college. Maybe you’re not ready to go away from home.

Whatever the reason may be, whatever you want to do is what you should do.  Your life path is individualized.

While it’s often easier to follow the crowd, something that’s good for a classmate may not be best for you.

An Ivy League institution may be what’s right for you, but a large public university may be what’s right for someone else.

There’s no need to compare the university you will be attending to the university someone else will be attending. And there’s no point judging someone for doing something different than what’s perceived as “normal.”

You won’t be remembered for getting accepted early decision to a school. You won’t be remembered for which university you attended, if any at all. You will be remembered for what you did in your life. You will be remembered for the lives you touched.

So instead of spending energy focusing on other people’s choices, shift that energy towards choosing the best path for yourself.

Don’t add to the stigma. Instead, “you do you.”