One of the hardest decision I have ever faced was whether to continue my studies at school after graduating 9th grade or move on college. In Uzbekistan every student must choose one of these two paths, and for me it was turning point.
At that time I was preparing for my exams of IELTS, and my goal was to study in a top universities with great quality of education, and I was sure to stay at school until the end. However, a relative encouraged me to attend college, saying it offers high standard of education. This idea tempted me, because I thought more knowledges can give me better chances to apply for top universities. However, my friends with strong ambitions and supportive character were valuable. They always back up me whenever I decided to give up. Besides, I afraid mostly from meeting unmotivated and aimless people who will discourage me, too. At that moment, my older friend who have already graduated the college advised me to stay at school, because in the college more people are unambitious as I afraid, not only him but nearly all my mates advised to do not move, as in college the discipline is much lower than school. However I did not believed them, and I started observe the life of people in our country who graduated college, and I could find that vast majority of them are jobless and they do not have even some kind of skills, because they just entertained instead of studying, and the biggest factor was poor quality of discipline in college. Therefore, I decided to stay at school.
In conclusion, making the right decision is not always about choosing what looks more prestigious, but about understanding which environment helps to grow as a person.