Post High School Plans

For many high school students, thinking about college can be a pretty stressful thing. There is so much pressure to get good grades, or get a good score on the ACT, or get in to a prestigious university. We are pressured by our high school, our parents, and ourselves. Some students get the feeling that if they don’t get into that “dream school”, then their life will be ruined. They feel like they are a failure for going to a state university instead of MIT or Stanford.

Personally, I have been a victim of this in my own way. I have gotten good grades all throughout high school, got a pretty score on my ACT, and have a good resume, yet I know that going to a school like MIT or Stanford is out of the question. When I first started my college search, I had my eyes on an expensive, prestigious out-of-state university that would have been a challenge to get in to. I felt like I would be a failure if I didn’t get into that school. However, since then, I have refined my search and I will now be going to an in-state university and I couldn't be prouder of myself. I have toughed it out for 12 years through elementary, middle, and high school and now I am ready to start a new part of my life.

I remember when I took the ACT for the first time and the whole thing stressed me out. Looking back on that, I laugh at the fact that I was worried about it, mostly because I ended up getting a good score anyway. Now that I am well into my senior year, I know that I just need to relax and enjoy my last year of high school before college. I didn’t get into my “dream school” but that’s not the end of the world because I know that I will have a blast in college no matter where I go.