Through their freshman, sophomore and junior years, the average student may not be struck by the relative immediacy of college. Alternatively, they may not feel the need to explore their options and properly ready themselves. When that student becomes a senior, they will realize the mistake they made. It will then quickly become apparent how being careless will make their last year of high school more stressful.
Maybe they have a low GPA that might not look very impressive to most colleges, or maybe they forgot to study for the SAT or ACT, and now will be forced to cram study sessions in between taking multiple tests. In addition, they hardly put any effort into even deciding which college would be best for them. They may hardly have any idea of what they want to study. A lack of volunteer work and a failure to become more involved with their school may make them feel unconnected and unfamiliar with the institutions of learning that form a major part of their life. All this will make them feel stressed and overwhelmed as they think how they should have studied harder and put more thought into their future.
The competitiveness of college admission can be a source of worry. Although it inspires most of the more dedicated to be the best students they can, it can breed resignation and desperation for many others, especially when coupled with the fact that, for their efforts in college, students will be given a financial burden that few working class students will be able to easily pay off quickly.
For that reason, it’s essential for all underclassmen to put genuine effort into deciding what they would like to do after they finish high school, how they plan to do it, and what they will do with it. A high GPA can go far in showing colleges that a student is committed to their education, and a high score on the SAT or ACT will demonstrate their readiness for college. Therefore, a student must take all their classes seriously and study in advance for the SAT and ACT tests if they are to have the best application possible. All underclassmen who want a healthy near future should be researching colleges and making decisions as they become relevant instead of ignoring them as long as possible. Otherwise, they will become part of the next generation to be faced with a burdensome senior year and diminished education prospects.