Just a few months ago I applied to three boarding schools. Last week I heard back from them, I got rejected from one, accepted to another and wait-listed at my favorite. I was supposed to get back to all of them with an answer within 48 hours. This meant I had a decision to make, one that would shape my life for the next four years. I went over the pros and cons of every decision I could possibly make and I just kept circling. I reached out to my friend Generic_Name and I spent an hour talking with her about what decision I should make. We landed on the safe decision of saying yes to the school I was accepted to. I still felt uneasy about this decision, I wan't sure if that was what I wanted. I talked to my mom and she reminded me that I wouldn't really be happy at that school, it wasn't the best fit for me. I still felt that I was fairly uninformed so I sought more help, I talked to my guidance counselor who reminded me that most wait listed students do get in. She also reminded me that this was my education and I deserved to be at a school I felt comfortable learning in. I decided to say yes to my favorite school. I came to that conclusion only because of all of the people I had talked to and the perspectives I had heard. It was easier to make a decision after talking to multiple people.

Everyone lives a different life, acquires different wisdom, and has a different point of view on every subject. No two, three, or four people are going to think the same on every debatable issue. When it comes time that you need advice, you should talk to two, three, or four people who know you well or have gone through the same thing you are going through. Each one of them will bring something different to the table. You might not agree with all of them, and that is a part of the process. You can listen to everyone's ideas and insights and narrow your options down to what is best for you. You might even find out other options are available. But, no matter what conclusion you come to, the more people you talk to, the more confident you will be in your decision.

We often seek advice from others before making big decisions. To make these decisions it is important that we are informed. Talking to multiple people is also a great way to become more informed about your situation. When you talk to people who may have experienced something similar, you acquire more information and insight to help you make a decision. Imagine that you needed help picking a new house for your family, you might talk to your best friend who would suggest to biggest one, but your mom might suggest the smallest one, less to clean, and another parent might suggest to middle one because your kids need space. Everyone thinks differently, all of these thoughts together can help you make the smartest choice. Notice how when scientists or researchers conduct their studies, they use multiple people rather than just one. That is because they recognize to importance of gaining information from more that just one person. You can feel better about your decision if you know you were informed about it first.

When asking for advice, it is important to talk to multiple people and hear multiple opinions. This will make you more informed about the choice you are going to make. When you are informed, you are likely to make the best choice. Talking to multiple people has helped me to make decisions about my life and particularly my new school. While I have mostly just mentioned big life decisions, it doesn't mean that you have to limit this process to life changing decisions. In everything that you do, talk to multiple people, listen to their ideas, and become more informed. 