After completing high school, not every teenager wants to go to college. Some want to start working and living independently, while others want to have a gap year where they can take time to find themselves and try to understand what they want from life. Whatever it is, it should contribute to the teenager's personal growth and development. Community Service Get involved in community service and do social work. Helping the community can benefit the teen in many ways. He will be able to gain professional experience, and perhaps consider taking it up as a career. Other than that, community service helps to promote personal growth and self-esteem, bring people together, strengthen the community, and give volunteers a chance to give back to the community. The most important benefit is that the teen will be making a difference in the world, a feeling he can treasure for the rest of his life. By doing community service, the teen will know the importance of working hard and taking responsibility in life. Apprenticeship A teenager could learn a trade by working as an apprentice in the business of his choice. If he is interested in joining or opening his own advertising firm in the future, he can then work at an advertising agency for a year after high school. This will help gain a basic idea of how this industry works. In addition to that, he can get the necessary certificates from the company which will help him to get a job in the same field in the future. Military Joining the military right after high school has many benefits. A teen can learn a great deal about himself after joining the military. He can learn values such as patriotism, discipline, teamwork, leadership, etiquette, and keeping fit. At the same time, he can earn enough money to fund his college education. If he does not want to continue further education, the military experience will help him to get good civilian jobs as well. Travel Taking a break and traveling to new places will help the teen meet new people and learn about various cultures. He will be able to learn about how people from different communities live, what cultural values they follow, etc. With globalization and people from many countries working together in organizations now, this knowledge about other cultures will help him in the future. Vocational Training One of the most useful options is vocational training. The teen can learn various trades such as nursing, accountancy, carpentry, cooking, medicine, etc. A student can get enrolled in a certificate program for the trade of his choice. Once he learns the skills and earns the appropriate qualifications, he can pursue it as a career. These are a few alternatives which a teenager can choose to effectively spend and utilize his time after high school. Care should be taken that he is engaged in something that adds to his experience, knowledge, and personal growth.