Planning Ahead After Your Quinceañera
by: Michael Kabel

The Quinceañera is your fifteenth birthday celebration, and a wonderful time to celebrate. The world moves so fast, however, that not long after your quince anos celebration you’ll begin making decisions that, as strange as it may seem, will play a big part in the rest of you life.

Because it's not too long after your Quinceañera - only a couple of years or so - that you'll be finishing high school and heading off into your adult life. And there are a lot of choices to make in that department, too. It sometimes feels like your early twenties are all about making important decisions.

But you've got plenty of time yet. And like planning a party, the decisions are easier to make if you meet them on your own terms.

Getting your driver's license learner's permit

You probably already know this, but some states allow teenagers to get a learner's permit at the age of fifteen, so they can begin learning to drive a car. In some instances, fifteen year olds can qualify for a hardship driver's license if they can demonstrate that their family needs them to operate a motor vehicle.

If you drive a car, you need insurance. Many insurance companies give discounts on your rates (the amount you need to pay each month) if you've got good grades and have completed an officially-licensed driver's education course. With your folks' permission, you might request cash gifts instead of presents for your Quinceañera, and use the money towards paying for those driver's ed courses.

Deciding about your future education: college? Technical school? Occupational Training?

Your parents and teachers are right about grades: the type of school or college you can get into depends a lot on them. If you haven't been the best student so far, the tenth grade is a great time to start pulling those marks up.

College financing is tricky. You don't want to borrow a lot of loans for tuition that you'll have to pay off many years later. However, most states have something called a 529 savings plan that helps you save money and might offer you tuition discounts under some circumstances. And of course, scholarships and grants are always the gold-ticket pass.

Besides college, there are other alternatives to education after high school. Technical schools and occupational training academies offer shorter time periods before granting a diploma or certification. But (and this is a big "but") their degrees aren't worth nearly as much in the job marketplace. If you've got dreams of living comfortably or even being wealthy one day, you're going to need a college education.

Curfews and going out

We saved this one for last because it's a biggie – and a delicate subject. It's natural to want to go out with your friends. But your parents are within their rights to ask you to be back at a certain time.

See if you can negotiate for more time out as long as your grades are good and you perform all your household responsibilities (chores, et cetera.) During the summer months, you may stay out later if you do more around the house or have a part time job.

If you want more time out with your friends, you can also always go out earlier in the evening. Maybe the group of you can have dinner first, before the evening's events. The curfew doesn't have to change, but you'll have more time out.