High School Preparation for College?

As a current senior in high school, embarking on my college journey next year, I’m supposed to be prepared and ready for it. But, little do people know how much high school doesn’t prepare you for college.

Academically and in real-life situations, high school isn’t the place to get you ready for that big transformation and the real world. Coming into high school and being a tiny, little freshman, you’re scared a little bit because it is one step closer to becoming an adult.

Let me tell you that if I could go back a restart high school, and redo my freshman year, I would. I would take it more seriously and definitely get more involved. But really, it just slightly prepares you for the school part, and not the part where you have to put your big-girl pants on.

Consumer Ed is the closest you will get to learning about real-life situations you have to deal with. The class teaches you about taxes, and different banking strategies, and also budgets.

In high school, you don’t sit in big lecture halls, sit in 2 hour long classes, but you do have that nasty cafeteria food still.

Some people look at college as scary and intimidating, but some people look at it as a fresh, and new exciting start. Maybe you weren’t that involved in clubs, or sports in high school, but you think college may be your chance to shine, that could be a positive of high school “preparing” you for high school. But, it is also supposed to work on your social skills, because no matter what you have to talk at some point in high school.

Now of course, you can’t stay in dorm rooms, and just live on your own, but there is still some real-life situations you just aren’t ready for straight out of high school.

But, what sucks is that 87 percent of students want to earn a college degree, and land a career. Yet, most of that 87 percent is not ready to take that next step at all. This statistic concerns teachers, parents, and even colleges.

Colleges want you to be ready to take that next step to your future, and be mature. Well guess what, in high school teachers know you by name, but once you go to college you’re just a number. And that is where high school lacks the ability to let you do things on your own, and gives you too much leeway.

I know quite a few times in high school when teachers have extended deadlines because no one did it, and they want to “be nice”. But, wake up call, that’s not how it usually works in college, you have a deadline and that’s when it’s due.

I know I’m making it seem as though college is this big bad place to go, but I’m being realistic because most people are not prepared for it at all because of their high school experience.

High school is supposed to be the “best 4 years of your life”, but guess what, so is college.