Before High School College Planning?

I personally think that kids in grade school or middle school shouldn’t be planning for college at that young an age. They are still in the early stages of their lives, and they are still learning about themselves, what they’re interested in, and what makes them happy. I think they have plenty of time to think of what they want to do in life, and some may not even want to go to college. They are yet to learn that there are many different paths to succeeding in life, like trade schools, apprenticeships, the military, or going straight to the workforce. Most are not old enough to even consider what they are thinking of wanting to do when they are older. Instead, they should be thinking about what they want to become in the future, not what college they want to go to. High school is the best time to start thinking more seriously about their future and what colleges they want to go to, because they are maturing and are more aware of what they are interested in. Guidance counselors, teachers, and older students can help students figure out what options they want to explore and get some extra support in picking what they want to do. At high school, however, I believe all years at high school should teach students who plan on going to college for their career to plan on what they want to study and where they would like to go. They need time to learn about what careers they like and don’t like, what skills they enjoy and don’t, without forcing them to lock into going to college when they possibly might not even want to go. Kids’ ideas for what they want their future to be change all the time, so teaching them young, like grade school or middle school, may give them the feeling of burnout from schoolwork. When they are taught too young, they might think that school is mostly about enduring pressure rather than actually learning something. Because that’s when they will realize that they not only have to make it out and graduate from their school, but also high school and even college too. The number of years they have left stuck in school education might make them feel already exhausted or overwhelmed before they get a chance to enjoy learning.

As someone looking back at my journey through school, I see how important planning when about your future and whether you are going to college or not is, since you really do not have a lot of time if you decide to put it off for the four years you are there. In elementary school, I remember I was interested in becoming a Game Warden or even a firefighter, but that was just what I imagined was cool to do. But in middle school, I found out that wasn’t what I wanted to do when I grew older. In middle school, I started to get more serious about figuring out what I wanted to do, but I still wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to look for. It wasn’t until high school that I got the pressure to know that I have to put a lot of effort into figuring out what I want my future to hold. That’s when I started exploring what I am good at and what I like, and I think that’s how it should be. Now, as I’m in the last month of high school and it’s about to end, I believe students’ futures and college planning are to be decided when you are mentally ready. Some students may be ready earlier than others, and that is fine. There’s no time limit for someone to be sure what they want to do for the rest of their life, even if you are in your twenties. What matters the most is that the students or person is supported without the fear of being judged for what they want to do. Schools should understand it takes time for students to imagine what they want their timeline of their life to look like.

“Garfield High School, Seattle WA: South and West Elevations” by JoeInSouthernCA is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.