Early College Preparation is Useless

While preparing early for college is good, it may not necessarily be a good option when high school is a time of impending independence as well as many other things. I often correlate college preparation with junior to senior year, where I noticed that my time in high school is coming to an end, which is reasonable for a time and does not need to be done earlier for any reason. The fact that parents are encouraging early preparation makes me think of how much pressure it must be for something to be done early. Anyways, here are three paragraphs dissecting the subject and making it more concise and more understandable, in a sense of point of view and age.

One, those who prepare early in early middle school and even grade school either must have high expectations for their child, almost a gamble even. It feels unfounded on the basis of grades, and interests rather than a high school student who even may feel the same lost sensation. Another thing, the pressure of pulling a child into a later-in-life situation lacks veracity towards the college, as if a college is going to accept a seventh grader’s transcript… Which they might if they allow it. However, one good factor about early preparation is teaching the child how to be independent in later life, something that surprisingly is not found in some high school students.

Two, those who prepare in late middle school and in early high school must cause slight stress on the individual, as it is a time of adjusting to a new school and curriculum. It must feel like an unnecessary burden to think about college at this time, where the student is trying to find their true selves in this world. There isn’t anything that massively impinges preparing early for college than stress being a considerable factor. The positives of preparing for college during this time is that it can save time during the ending stages of high school, being prepared and less stressed about looking for a college etc.

Three, those who prepare during late high school will find it slightly more stressful and a bit more burdening. It is more stressful for those who do college credit classes such as AP or Dual Enrollment, as it feels more of a hassle to deal with two stressful things at once. Another Con to this dilemma is burnout, something that can make someone feel terrible or worn out, which the thought of doing school and college is overwhelming enough. A last downside I could say would be time constriction; searching for college is tedious enough as well as even doing the FAFSA and application. It can often be an absolute burden to even think of this when doing school work in the background. But there are positives such as maturity being a big factor as When you are mature, you have an understanding of what is appropriate or not, which is important to know in college. Another Positive aspect of preparing during this time is that a transcript is often fully developed and shows their strengths rather than earlier times for preparation. My last positive for this being more developed when it comes to extracurricular activities, as it ties into knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a person. Now that I have explained the pros and cons of each period in which preparation is done, here’s my opinion and point of view.

As a senior in high school, I find it easier, but also quite stressful when it comes to preparing for college. It feels like a second stressors for school as it is hard for me to fully focus when I worry about sending in my final transcript. Another thing is the feeling of being alone, which I am particularly afraid of due to being independent for the first time, having the cards of my life in my hands rather than my parents. In my opinion, those who do it early must pressure their children to be extremely successful and stress about school. The burnout potential feels more accelerated and overwhelming with the burden of college preparation, even the parent’s point of view (Possibly). In conclusion, I believe that college preparation is meant for high school students, not middle or elementary school students.

“New Books” by LollyKnit is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.