Remember that kindergarten art project? The one where a classroom of five year olds is asked to draw a picture of what they want to be when they grow up? At this innocent stage, your amused parents might even hang your picture on the refrigerator.
But then in fifth grade you have to write an essay about “where you see yourself in 10 years.” And as the years go on, this probing question begins to appear more and more frequently, implying that by the time you reach high school, your entire life should be figured out.
In high school, you are taught that going to college is the only way to attain a bright future: the first and most important step in your pursuit of happiness. Soon, everyone is asking where you plan to go. It’s an endless topic of conversation: like everyone would rather get to know you, the college applicant, than you, the person.
This anxiety-packed question is hurled at you from all angles: your great aunt, your nextdoor neighbor, your mom’s friend that you’re pretty sure you’ve only talked to one time before. Even though people always ask with such casualty, this question never fails to induce a feeling of panic.
Consequently, the purpose of high school shrinks, and high school seemingly becomes nothing more than college pre-school. High school becomes a fake friend, only there to prepare you for the college admissions process, shaping you into the best applicant.
All of the learning, love, laughter, growth, embarrassment…every awkward moment, crush, club photo, and coffee run doesn’t really matter. It’s all just one big test, equal only to the grade on your report card. These are hoops you’re jumping through, not for fun or for exercise, but because you’re in training. Life, real life, begins only after you’re accepted into the right school.
Every single student, teacher, counselor, and parent who puts college acceptance on a pedestal cheats you out of your high school experience. The message you get is clear: this does not count--not really, not like college.
Even if you don’t buy into the hype, it’s difficult not to be influenced by the college plans of others when you’re constantly hearing about where your peers are applying.
But what about the students who don’t want to directly go to college after high school? Constant college visits, expensive SAT and ACT tutors, extensive AP classes: these are just a few seemingly-mandatory preps that have become just another part of high school . Swept up in the frenzy, students aren’t even given the chance to consider alternatives to college such as a gap year or service program.
You path doesn’t have to be written in stone. Even if college is the path you seek, you shouldn’t make a decision based on a judgement-triggering name. Search for the novel experience or a cozy, new home for the next four years.
Or forget learning; forget curiosity; forget the pursuit of your genuine interests. Instead, think about what you’re going to do when you arrive at college and your algebra, chemistry, and SAT tutors are all still in New Jersey.
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