At the end of high school, when students feel like they are just starting to find themself, or when students finally get comfortable in who they are, they get taken away from all familiarity. The impending feeling of doom about one’s future eats away at students.
Although it seems crazy, it feels like there has been pressure on students about what they’re going to do with their lives since the first day of Kindergarten. Students are constantly faced with the challenge of their future.
Simple questions like “What do you want to be when you grow up?” seem innocent, but really, this question has been engraved in students’ minds since they can remember.
It seems like students have to make decisions that will determine the rest of their lives. One bad move and they’re stuck doing something they hate for their life, or even stuck somewhere they hate.
The constant thought of the future resides in the back of students’ minds. It is what they have been trained to do. Some of the biggest concerns amongst students are whether they will follow the path that is best for them.
The weight of making a college decision is one of the hardest to make in one’s youth. This is a decision that will permanently affect the future, so how does Norwin High School feel about this topic?
The students of Norwin handle each stressor differently, with one stress sometimes taking over all the others. For example, one person may be focused on filling out all of the applications while another is worrying about finding the “perfect fit.”
According to a poll conducted, 37 percent of Norwin students are stressed about finding the perfect fit academically and socially.
The reasons people choose a college are also quite varied across the board, with many factors in play. A student’s decision has an expansive impact on their future, affecting academic, social, and financial aspects of life.
“Cost is the biggest factor in the college decision process,” said senior Jace Pirillo. “While I do want to find the college that is perfect for me, I do not want to accumulate debt that will create stress and burdens in my life for decades.”
However, cost isn’t the only defining factor in students, as distance away from home is also important. Some students want to be as far away from their parents as possible, so they can be independent, and some want to have that safety net just in case.
“My biggest thing was the distance away from home,” said senior Angelo Rothrauff. “I wanted to pick a college with good programs and great opportunities around it, and there were none very cool that I liked.”
Scholarships are another major source of stress for high school students of today. It’s a constant cycle of finding a scholarship and trying to get enough money to help cover the ever-rising cost of college.
“I truly don’t have much stress about the college decision process,” said senior Sophia Tokay. “However, I am stressed about applying for scholarships because they determine my financial situation in the future.”
Scholarships take a lot of time to get, requiring different things like essays and teacher recommendation letters, but they can be make or break a college for some students.
“I think cost and scholarship applications go hand in hand,” said senior Ana Kelly. “My biggest concern has been finding a place that will get me the best chance at the field I want without putting hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt into my life.”
Additionally, parents’ worries and care can also be a factor in why a student chooses the college they do, as parents can be conscious of things that students aren’t. Parent support can do wonders for a student’s confidence in the school they choose on their own.
“Watching them stress about making such a big decision in their life,” said computer science teacher Ray Rakvic. “on where they would feel comfortable but also be a place where they would be happy and get a good education. Parents want to protect their children and offer guidance, but picking a college requires independence; it must be a place they can see themselves at. ”
Parents giving their children the room to grow and the information on the effects of what they choose and why can also end up focusing on finances, as the debt is something that can affect the whole family far into the future.
“As a parent,” said Honors English 9 teacher Angela Hufnagel. “I cared about so many variables: safety, cost, quality of education, diversity, power of the degree, prestige of the school, power of the alumni association, quality of life (food/living conditions), opportunity for internships…I feel like my list is huge! I mean, I maintained Excel spreadsheets! What was MOST important to me? I asked [my children and Norwin alumni] Emma and Noah. Emma said, ‘Affordability- you made it clear that the debt was ultimately ours.’ Noah replied, ‘Ensuring I’d be both happy and challenged- and affordable.’ Emma added, ‘Yeah, you made us feel safe to explore places away from home and reassured us you had our backs. But I definitely felt when I was getting offers and financial packages that you were transparent.’”
Moreover, not all students may want to go to college. There are various paths for students that can be just as successful or even more successful as the typical college path.
There are countless opportunities among trade schools or other similar career choices. Although present-day society seems to promote the trades more than the past, it is still something that is overlooked by many students.
Currently, there is a societal pressure on students that pushes them to attend college. But realistically, that is not the only way to success, as it never has been.
Trade jobs are vital because they are the backbone of modern infrastructure, providing essential services like electricity, clean water, and secure buildings that keep society functioning. According to the employment company “Generation”, an aging workforce has led to an increase of demand in these trade roles, offering high job security, immunity to outsourcing, and often higher immediate pay than many careers that require a college education.
Additionally, simply going to college is not enough anymore. Students have to build connections and involve themself in internships. Just getting good grades takes a lot of time and effort from students.
“Students appear to struggle the most with their personal statements,” said Hufnagel. “It is hard to choose the right topic, and it is uncomfortable to share aspects of your life with someone who is a stranger to you and someone who has the power to advance your application for admittance, or not.”
On top of the very real stresses of applying to college and getting good grades, students are also constantly surrounded by the pressure of the opinions around them, both in person and on social apps like Instagram or TikTok.
“It is often difficult to navigate all of the extra ‘noise’ in the decision-making process,” said Norwin High School guidance counselor Devon Fiore. “Students often hear many varying opinions from others, focus heavily on college rankings, or see countless social media highlights. All of these extra factors can sometimes bog down making a confident decision.”
The fear of missing out on potential opportunities is also very real. Deciding to go to one college means giving up any opportunities for growth that another choice may have provided. You can only pick the college that fits most of the criteria, as no college can realistically check all of the boxes.
”My stress about the college decision process is trying to decide which college should I go to,” said senior Jacob Chen. “They all have their benefits which means choosing one college over another would mean abandoning the other opportunities.”
College hunting takes a lot of time, effort, and stress, but once students find the place that truly fits them, it all clicks into place.
“Perfect does not necessarily exist,” said Fiore. “But it is important to find the best fit for you. I am an advocate of making a pros and cons list. I know it can sound cliché, but I believe there is value in seeing positives and negatives written out. When you find your ‘perfect,’ you will know it. ”
