“What is your plan next year?” seems like the only question that is constantly being asked to many students during our senior year of highschool. Since we were young, there has always been pressure put on every student. The constant reminder of choosing what we are going to do with our lives has been a stinging struggle for many students.
How does this affect our high school experience? Considering change is unavoidable, why are we constantly worried about what we want to be when we grow up? Choosing your lifetime career is a big and important decision, but it is not permanent, so why is there such a high amount of pressure being put on you to make a decision about what you want to do with your life?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “The brain finishes developing and maturing in the mid-to-late 20’s. Brain development is related to social experiences during adolescence,” so the question everyone needs to ask is: Why are 17 and 18-year-olds expected to make such big decisions at such a young age?
As I am halfway through my senior year of highschool, I am still very unsure of what I want to do next year and where I want to go to college. I am certain that others will agree with that thought. I confidently believe that this load of pressure held over me by my peers, school counselors and teachers and parents is overwhelming. The buildup of exhaustion is not benefiting my journey when I am coming to a conclusion and the defeat only continues to linger.
I cannot count how many times I have heard an adult I know say, “If I could go back I would have chosen a different path.”If the pressure put on students was less intense there would be different outcomes.
Life is and will always be about what is next. Right when you get to high school you are expected to think about either college and your field of study or another path you are going to pursue. When you get to college you are expected to know what job you are planning on following. The questions will never end but can the pressure? Or do they go hand in hand?
