Do We Start College Prep Too Early or Late?

For students and parents, planning can be a stressful time for everyone involved. It is important to have a plan of action and to be prepared. It is also okay to not know what you’re going to do yet. I went into my senior year not really knowing what I wanted to do. I then started doing some research and I think I found the perfect major for me. Forensic-Accounting is a mix of both crime and numbers which I enjoy very much. My point here is, that there is no reason to stress just because you do not know what you want to do yet. Planning for college can be stressful but getting help, being patient, and being organized are things that can help you through the transition process from high school to college.

I feel that getting prepared for college too soon can be a bad thing in some cases. Saving money for college is always a good idea no matter what. I will never disagree that having a savings account just for college will always be important. The less debt you leave college with, the better. Saying this, I do think that prepping some other things can be bad. I think kids at a young age do not know what they want to do yet. When I was in middle school I barely understood what college meant let alone what I wanted to do. Putting pressure on kids to get prepared for college at a young age can cause unnecessary stress. I didn’t even start thinking about college until at least sophomore year, maybe even junior year. I think letting kids know what’s coming after high school is important but having plans all thought out before they even know what to do is not smart. When I was in grade school and middle school I wanted to go to the University of Oregon just because of how cool their sports jerseys are. Not only do I feel it can be an added stress to younger children, but I also feel it is a part of growing up. There is never any shame in asking for help but making decisions based on what’s best for you is important. Having your parents make decisions for you especially when you are at a young age for something you aren’t even sure about yet is a little premature. Not only is it premature, but there are many things that can change between grade school and college. You could always end up moving and that can change all plans. I was not even sure where I was going to college up until about a month ago. I had gone on college visits all throughout the summer and thought for sure I had my college all picked out. After going through finances, major options, and talking to friends I realized the college I thought I wanted to go to wasn’t for me. I was in the middle of my senior year when I figured this out. Kids who are in middle school do not know what they want to do yet. On the other side of this, preparing for college by doing AP classes in high school is important. The more you do in high school the less you have to do in college. So, in that way, I think it is important. Overall, I do not think preparing for college, especially in middle and grade school is the most important thing to do at that age.

Like I said before, college is a super stressful time for a lot of families. Going through all of your options and weighing every decision is very important. You want the college that will be most comfortable and beneficial to you. Starting this process too early can actually be a bad thing and cause burnout mentally and emotionally. College is also not an option for everyone so planning these things so early when there are so many factors can be a waste of energy. There are also trade schools and things you can do that do not require a higher-level degree. Getting over-prepared for something like this can also actually force your child to make decisions they may or may not want to do. It should be up to the kid when they are comfortable enough to make the decision on what THEY want to do.

“college” by Sean MacEntee is marked with CC BY 2.0.