Madeline Zastrow

Christopher Wyman
English 111
13 November 2014
The Push for Quick Decisions in Students Future Plans
Most would agree that what a student has planned for their future after high school is
very important. Wanting to attend college is usually a good start, but many students do not have
any ideas after that. I found myself in this position. While there were instances in high school
where I had been given opportunities to look into my options, the majority of my decisions have
felt rushed and uncertain. In preparing for the future, three steps had been pressed upon me: pick
a college, pick a degree, pick a career. These steps were also expected to be carried out as soon
as possible. Options other than college were hardly mentioned. Perhaps I just take life slower
than the average person, or maybe I unintentionally waited until the last possible moment to
decide anything. Whatever the reason, I never felt like I had enough time. There was so little I
knew about myself that it seemed impossible that I should be deciding now what I wanted to do
with the rest of my life. I do not believe I am a special case. While it is true that there are some
students who know exactly where they would like to be in ten years, many of us are still lost. For
myself, I realize my main problem has been not having enough time for self exploration and little
opportunity to discover my talents. Maybe I personally am not accustomed to the high speeds of
our modern world. Though maybe it is also possible that our need for quick decisions is greatly
affecting the choices young students make for their futures.
High schools do what they can to prepare students for their futures. Many even offer
programs that create an almost seamless transition from high school to college. There are school

sponsored college visits, dual enrollment classes so students may get an idea of what college
classes will be like, and CTE programs to gain credits and interest in specific fields. Some even
have programs that make it possible for a student to graduate with both a high school degree and
an associates degree. Unfortunately, not all schools are able to offer such programsand not all
schools that offer these programs execute them successfully. Whatever the school is able to
provide, they are generally going to be a large contributor in the decisions students make for their
futures. The majority of schools try to teach skills such as taking good notes, doing well on tests,
and other that they believe will make a student successful in college. However, there are many
other skills needed for the future that high schools tend to forget. Perhaps these are lessons that
are expected to be taught at home, but schools do little to teach students about living on their
own. High schools often do not help students learn what their strong suits are, or how to apply
these skills to future careers. As Mike Rowe--former host of the popular show Dirty Jobs-brought up in his interview with Reason.com, high schools usually fail to mention the options a
student has other than college. Reasons summary of the interview provides further discussion,
"There is a real disconnect in the way that we educate vis-a-vis the
opportunities that are available. You have - right now - about 3 million jobs
that can't be filled," he says, talking about openings in traditional trades
ranging from construction to welding to plumbing. "Jobs that typically
parents' don't sit down with their kids and say, 'Look, if all goes well, this is
what you are going to do.' (Reason.com)
As Rowe says, parents are also a problem in this aspect. Most parents want their children to be
successful, and it is typically assumed that going to college will improve the students quality of
life indefinitely. For those who are unprepared or unmotivated, this may not be the case. While
each individual family cannot be changed, parents as a whole should encourage their children to

make decisions that will fit them bestwhether or not college is a part of it should be less
important.
While it is clear that some students do not need college, there are others that need the
push to go to college. Many individuals believe that going to college without a concrete plan for
the future is really what college is all about. College is intended to help students discover
themselves. Some very capable students are hesitant to attend college based solely on the fact
they are having trouble deciding on a major. However, this may be one of the best reasons for
them to attend. As long as they have the motivation to go, their future plans can come later once
they have more of an idea of what college is like. Another concern of students and their families
is the cost of college. There is a fear that they will not be able to afford it, or that by changing
their mind about a major later on will be a waste of money in classes that they no longer need.
Jay Mathews, a columnist for the Washington Post, believes that students will benefit from any
kind of college education. College graduates earn considerably more money over their careers
than non-college graduates, he writes in his article Multiplying Benefits of College for
Everybody, They have more choices about what to do with their lives, and much more
flexibility if they change their minds about what is best for them. Because of this, Mathews
thinks that every American should be given a shot at it (Mathews).
Some students find motivation for college and the future through a gap year. The typical
gap year lasts between one semester and one year. This provides students with a break from the
school environment and more time to create a plan for their future. According to American Gap,
students who had successful gap years find that their motivation and GPAs increase once
returning to school (americangap.org). While it is true that not all students would benefit from
taking a semester or a year off, it is an option that should be mentioned more often. The main

concern about taking a gap year is getting behind. Gap years are still somewhat viewed as a
waste of time, although the majority of students already do not finish their degrees in the
estimated amount of time. A period typically used for self exploration and mental revitalizing
does not necessarily seem to be a waste, but it all depends on how it is spent. A student who
spends their gap year staying at home will not reap as many benefits as those who spent their
time being actively involved. A gap year that is spent volunteering through a community
organization could potentially help a student receive scholarships and give them a higher chance
of acceptance into their chosen school. Nicholas Carr is a bestselling author and writer of the
essay Is Google Making Us Stupid? who believes that Google and similar technologies have
transformed our minds from deep thinking to skimming and quick decision making (Carr).
This has made our daily lives rigidly scheduled and fast paced. While a gap year could give an
individual a less hurried outlet to make decisions, they should also take note that the rest of life
will not be slowing down.
Keeping up with our modern pace may potentially be a huge factor in future success. Ed
Lyell, former Colorado State Board of Education and Telecommunication Advisory Commision
member discusses the modern worlds speeds effects on learning systems in the Pew Research
Centers response to Is Google Making Us Stupid?,The new learning system, more informal
perhaps than formal, will eventually win since we must use technology to cause everyone to
learn more, more economically and faster if everyone is to be economically productive and
prosperous (Pew Research Center). This is good news for students who are motivated and
already prepared for the rest of the world, but Lyell believes that these changed learning systems
will also cause more students to drop out, learn less, and fail to find a productive niche in the

future (Pew Research Center). Individuals may not be fit for college, or the majority of society,
if they cannot follow the pace.
Modern students are often hurried into making decisions about their futures. While this is
little more than a reflection of our fast-paced society, this often causes us to overlook options
other than college. Many high schools and colleges already offer programs to help students feel
more confident in their decision making. Students also have the less commonbut possibly just
as effectiveoption of a gap year to help them make of their minds about the future in the
environment of their choice. Students, parents, and schools must all come to the realization that
not everyone will need to go to college to be successful and not everyone who goes to college
will be successful. However decisions about the future are made, perhaps the best an individual
can do to succeed is prepare themselves for the worlds high speeds.

Works Cited
Gillespie, Nick, and Meredith Bragg. "Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe on the High Cost of
College." Reason.com. Reason, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
"Data & Gap Year Benefits." American Gap. American Gap Association, n.d. Web. 11 Nov.
2014.
Mathews, Jay. "Multiplying Benefits of College for Everybody." Exploring Relationships:
Globalization and Learning in the 21st Century. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions,
2013. N. pag. Print.
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Exploring Relationships: Globalization and
Learning in the 21st Century. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. N. pag. Print.
Pew Research Center, comp. "Response to Is Google Making Us Stupid?"Exploring
Relationships: Globalization and Learning in the 21st Century. Boston: Pearson Learning
Solutions, 2013. N. pag. Print.