Acknowledging Life's Challenges After High School
By Nouf Hunaiti
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question most high schoolers learn to despise as they embark on their road to self-discovery. These questions weigh heavily on students’ minds and exert a lot of stress on their futures. In high school, teachers often induce significant amounts of pressure on students to push themselves to discover a career path.
This persistence early on remains a constant throughout their journey until graduation. Post-high school, students learn to have a sense of independence, yet many feel pressured by those around them to go down certain paths.
Whether it be choosing a career path or attending a prestigious school, students face challenges. Society often judges their choices as either 'good' or 'bad'. All these differing opinions are hard to ignore, even if they are trying to make the best choice for themselves, it casts a lot of doubts and uncertainty.
Many students struggle with the fear of failure, specifically in academic pursuits. This fear can stem from the constant comparisons to others. For instance, maybe one of their peers, attended a prestigious university, while they did not. This triggers sentiments of inferiority or a sense of missing out. If the student fails to make friends as they anticipated, feelings of shame and inadequacy will arise. These fears can drive students to feel the need to push themselves extensively.
Post-high school graduates may encounter financial barriers that will restrict their ability to afford expensive tuition fees, influencing their decisions regarding higher education. The fear of accumulating student loan debt looms large, often compelling individuals to prioritize finding a job over attending their dream school. This factor serves as a deterrent for many potential college attendees.
The combination of financial constraints and the plethora of decisions students need to make creates immense pressure to resolve these problems as quickly as possible. From trying to balance the need for financial security to keeping up with the pressure of their academic choices, it can instill a sense of urgency that weighs heavily on students. This pressure often leads students to make rushed decisions and not think thoroughly through their options.
All these factors can divert our attention from the sole reason for attending college: to pursue an education. While others may be fully engaged in social activities and friendships, it is crucial to stay focused on the reason we've made sacrifices to gain knowledge and skills. We must not allow minor life distractions to derail our path; instead, we should focus on what is important and realize that our path does not mirror everyone else's.