Ever since elementary school, students are asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” There’s pressure to plan out everything and know what path to take, however, most people’s answer to this daunting question is, “I don’t know yet.”
College is a subject that is discussed and encouraged in all grade levels, for many teachers say that the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college. If college is this important and this talked about, students should have an ample amount of planning time to prepare for such a thing.
In high school, senior year is the main year where college becomes a big deal. This is where students begin to fill out applications, write essays, get letters of recommendation, etc. When senior year comes quicker than expected for most, some do not even know where they want to go to college. This leaves a very small window for the preparation process and readiness to go to college the next fall season.
Although junior year is also important to get into college, it focuses more on transcripts. This includes GPA, class rank, grades and, most importantly, ACT scores. Encouraging juniors and even lower grade levels to think about college in a more serious way will lead to less stress during senior year.
A way for this to happen is to expose lower grade levels to the same opportunities that seniors have in order to prepare for college. Many college visits held by the school are prioritized to seniors, but making them guaranteed for juniors, and possibly even sophomores, would make students more comfortable with the idea of college when it really matters.
College is the time to plan out life and decide what to do with it. It is an important time to grow learning experiences and begin following a career path. Because of this, having the proper planning for college is just as important as going to class every day. Having more time and resources at younger ages would promote earlier thoughts about college and excitement about the future.