College causes stress at VHS

By Mackenzie Guadagno, Reporter

As students get closer to graduating, the reality of college feels more real. What college will these students go to? What do they want to study? How will they earn money for the expenses? All these are questioned throughout highschool. Yet Frank Financial Aid, an organization made to make colleges in America more affordable states that 80% of college students change their major at some point in their college education. Students, even as seniors, have trouble comprehending the idea of moving on from childhood to adulthood. Which, for some, can make it hard to face such a big transition.

Students lost a lot of time in school due to Covid. While students were online, the advantages of valuable time in the classroom were absent. So many students feel still as young as they were before Covid even began.

“I still don’t feel like I’m graduating. I still feel like a sophomore,” senior Samantha Owen said.

The pressure of college is hard for some high schoolers when one moment they are enjoying their middle school lifestyle and the next they’re stressed about getting into the right college, especially because of Covid. Student Aid, a site that assists students with picking colleges, states that middle school is the ideal time to start thinking about college. However, VHS senior Owen Kruse disagrees.

“Some people have known what they want to do since they were in elementary school. But probably junior or senior year would be best [to start thinking about colleges] because that’s when you have to commit and apply to colleges that offer the things that you want to do. And even if you do go to college for those things, you can change your mind or change your major,” Owen said.

Similar to Owen’s argument, Senior Jewel Wass De Czege also feels that students can start thinking about college later than freshman year and still feel confident and caught up.

“I just started thinking about [college] senior year, and I feel like I’m fine and I’m applying to schools that I’m excited to go to or get accepted in,” Wass De Czege said.

College is overall a very stressful thing for many students all over VHS. It is a massive change to go from a secure living environment to possibly living alone with high stakes classes. So, no matter when people start thinking about college, it will often always be stressful. Senior Sam Walker advises his peers to not shy away from getting professional help.

“I’ve got a college counselor, which is very helpful [because] she helps me write all my essays. So I’m confident in [those essays] and that helps me,” Walker said.

There are also many other, more accessible, options for students looking for resources. Like Common App, a guide that gives students many advantages when applying for college(s).

“Common App is really nice. … it tells you all the deadlines, and it tells you what you need, and you can just reuse the same information,” Owen said.

College is a big deal to many students because of how much of a change it is. VHS students find themselves moving out of their childhood home and away from their families. The stress caused by college is extreme and very much validated because of how big of a change it really is.

“It’s a big change. I haven’t remembered living anywhere besides Washington. And some of the places that I’m applying to are in Colorado, Oregon, and Massachusetts, which are far away. This idea of not being here is really weird,” Wass De Czege said.