Well, it’s certainly no secret that it can be more than a little tough for many students to fully grasp how the decisions they make today can hugely impact their lives five or ten years from now. Happily, there’s a new tool from UT System that can make things a bit easier to wrap a teenage head around. The seekUT site and iPad/Android app uses the average earnings of UT graduates (both one year and five years post-college) combined with typical loan amounts to paint a picture of what the future might look like for a student—helping them think about the decisions that make the most sense for them and the life they hope to live.

The detailed tool allows students to compare future earnings by major, learn about degree requirements, see which jobs in Texas will have the most growth (and which regions will offer up those opportunities), and get a flavor for the national job landscape. Of course, the data is based on students who graduated from UT schools, but there’s still plenty of major learning potential for kids attending just about any school in the state (or beyond).

Protip: Once students have explored seekUT and gotten some ideas for possible future paths, they can use the TXGU Discover You portal to dig even deeper into career options.