Why Is College So Stressful?

To say college is competitive is an understatement. One does not simply have to get straight A’s. Rather, students need to be at the top of their game in everything. A perfect 4.0 GPA, a master of the piano, the leader of multicultural club, and the captain of the football team. These are just a few of the things that elite colleges look for in a promising student. You might as well call college admissions the Olympics. Fortunately, students aiming for their match schools are not held to the same standard. But we can all agree that everyone experiences the same stress when it comes time to apply.

Although counselors and teachers tell you that trade school, community college, or the military are other options, college is slowly becoming the expectation. In fact, if you choose not to go to college, you are penalized. Employers favor those with a degree over those without. And if you attend a no-name school, you’re looked down upon by your peers.

It makes sense that students are dedicating so much of their time to academics. Therefore, trying to balance school and their outside life becomes a struggle. They fall into a mundane routine of coming home and studying, not taking the necessary time to decompress and step away from their open textbook. As a result, sacrifices are made. Less and less time is spent with friends and family. Less and less time is spent exploring your personal interests. But more and more time is spent studying.

For these students, it is not easy to take a break. As they enter a new stage in their life, life after high school, students feel the mounting pressure to ‘grow up’ and ‘find their passion’. But at eighteen years old, it is rare to do so. Although legally adults, the class of 2021 has yet to experience adulthood. Instead, they have their childhood. But if so much of their time is spent towards school, that young innocence and joy can be taken away.

To the students who define themselves by their grades: Yes, education is important, but your youth is more.