Within the first few weeks of being a freshman, high schoolers can expect to hear the word college thrown at them a million times. Preparation is essential, but when does it begin to feel like too much?
Many fourteen to sixteen-year-olds have no idea what they want to do with their future, and the adults in their lives give them a simple solution: college.
Students are told that they can only have a stable job or career if they go to college and need an excellent education to make anything of themselves.
In many cases, this is true. College graduates can become successful doctors, lawyers and engineers. There are also many cases when students leave high school without a plan and spend thousands on a degree they never use towards anything or drop out of school.
According to a report by the Education Data Initiative, 32.9 percent of American undergraduates drop out of college. In July 2021, 40 million students dropped out of college, and only 864,824 re-enrolled the following fall.
There are many reasons why college students would drop out, whether it be not having enough money to pay tuition, not being able to balance a job and relationships with school, or very commonly, people need to know what direction they want to go in their lives.
There are also many college graduates with a degree they worked hard for and spent thousands of dollars on, only to never use it.
According to The Washington Post, 40 percent of college graduates do not go into a career that requires the degree they earned.
The pressure to attend college immediately after high school may lead to burnout and an increased likelihood of students switching majors or dropping out later. A more thoughtful and individualized approach, allowing students the time and space to discover themselves, can result in a more fulfilling and successful college experience when they pursue higher education.
What is the cause of this large number of people needing help finding success in college?
Many high school and post-graduation students feel like they were told that going to college was their only option after high school.
Being pressured to go to college and finding it is not the right fit after spending thousands for a few semesters can be very difficult for young adults.
High school students meet frequently with college advisors to determine the best degree or college fit for their personality and career goals.
For example, a fourteen-year-old first-year student can be told they should pursue veterinary school because, at that time, they loved animals. Still, as an eighteen-year-old senior, that student may need to know if they want to be a veterinarian, a welder or a sales associate.
One of those careers requires college, a welder requires trade school, and a salesman needs to have a good resume.
Many students go to college, though, and they are grateful they are provided all the help they get to make it there.
Audrey Gibson graduated from Lakeland High School in 2023 as the salutatorian of her class. She then went on to attend George Fox University in Oregon. Gibson is happy with her decision to attend college because the career she is working towards requires a degree, and she feels confident in entering that field.
“I didn’t feel pressured to go to college because I always planned on going to college,” Gibson said. “I also felt like there were good resources given to people who wanted to go into college, or a trade, or the military in high school.”
Gibson feels the school gave her good resources and opportunities to get into college and pursue her desired career. This is beneficial for the students who feel like college is the path they want to taken, given the perfect push and opportunity by the school to go down that road.
On the contrary, many students feel that college is not the right fit for them, but the school pressures them to take this route even if it does not feel perfect.
Benjamin Pope, a junior at LHS, is at the point in his high school career where he must decide what to do after graduation.
Pope is taking classes at KTEC this year to prepare for going into a trade. He feels that college is not the right fit for him because he believes he must have the personality or mindset to attend college.
“Every student has different interests for later in life when it comes to finding a career,” Pope said. “Sometimes a student’s interests don’t align with going to college because it just isn’t necessary for what they want to do.”
Pope is right. Not everyone needs to go to college to succeed, but why do high schoolers feel this is not true?
“I feel like teachers pressure students into going to college because there is a belief that going to college will get you a better career in the long run,” Pope said.
Pope also strongly believes that the debt incurred from attending college only sometimes outweighs the benefits, especially if a graduate does not use their degree for their career.
The pressure students receive to go to college is not just happening at LHS. Post Falls High School also pushes its students to go to college significantly.
Kadie Corwin graduated from PFHS in 2023. She recently graduated from EMT school and works full-time at Fire District One in Shoshone County.
Corwin has wanted to be a firefighter her entire life, but throughout high school, her coaches and teachers told her to go to college for cheerleading or to go after a degree just because it could help her find better jobs.
Corwin explained that at PFHS, applying for colleges for their senior projects is required, even if they were not planning on going to college. This can only add more stress on seniors that will never pay off.
“My teachers said I wouldn’t make it in life if I didn’t go to college,” Corwin said. “I was forced to apply to schools I knew I was never going to just for a grade.”
Teachers and administrators pushed Corwin and her peers to go to college simply because they believed it was the path to success.
“I didn’t end up going to the schools I got accepted into, and I’m doing great working in my dream job,” Corwin said.
A stigma may be associated with not going to college.
Around 55 percent of people over 25 work for minimum wage, while roughly 89 percent of people over 25 have only a high school diploma.
Going to college is not necessarily a poor choice, but if a student goes to college because they feel it is their only option, it is a poor choice.
Students must be able to lay out all their options and take time to discover themselves and what they want before starting at a school that costs thousands in tuition over four years.
There are many routes students can take after high school.
Trades, military, entrepreneurship, gap years, traveling and seasonal work are all things people can pursue as young adults.
It takes time to discover yourself as a teenager, and it can be one of the most challenging things a person does in high school. The hard part is that students can only thoroughly plan their future and know if their plan is correct once they fully understand who they are.
High school has been structured to prepare students for the college experience with standardized testing, ranking GPAs and the unspoken competition to be on top of the college race.
Amidst the college applications frenzy, it becomes imperative to pause and reflect on whether students are genuinely equipped to make life-altering decisions at such a young age. Many students are pushed towards fields of study or careers without the opportunity to explore their potential, hindering their ability to make informed choices about their future.
High schools should prioritize creating environments that push toward self-exploration and personal growth.
This includes providing career counseling, mentorship programs and exposure to various experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. By doing so, students can make more informed decisions about their future, ensuring that their journey into adulthood is set on the right path, not just pursuing higher education.
While pursuing higher education is undoubtedly valuable, there may be more beneficial paths for some students than the rush to college straight out of high school.
It is crucial to recognize the importance of self-discovery during these formative years in high school, allowing students the time and space to explore their interests before committing to college.
