Cameron Black

Prof. Stalbird
ENG 1201
April 17, 2016
Topic:
Is there too much pressure on students to go to college after high school?
After high school, there is a very important decision to be made. Parents think about it
almost as soon as they have kids. The topic of whether to go to college after high school is
always on a students mind as he or she goes through high school. The decision to go or not could
make a very big impact on the persons life. There are alternatives to college, and some people
over look them. Often times a student is pressured by his or her parents or even their teachers
and peers to go to college and further their education when its something they dont want to do.
Other times students are pressured to go to brand name schools by their parents so that it looks
good on them. Parents and teachers shouldnt put large amounts of pressure on students to go to
college after high school, or demand results that the student is failing to achieve.
From the second of birth, parents worry about a lot of things. Wanting a safe environment
for them to bring their child home to, or even wondering who is going to take care of their child
while the two of them are at work. Parents worry about a lot, and its not easy. But something
that always crosses a familys mind is school. School is obviously very important because its
where we spend around 14 years of our lives learning, growing, and interacting. Of course after
our high school days, the question of college comes around. Parents always want the best for
their kids, but what exactly is the best when college comes into play. The amount of pressure put
on to teenagers to go to brand name colleges by their parents is immense. Its putting kids

through something they dont even want to do. Gary Ripple was the dean of admissions at the
College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and has had some experience with this
issue. Ripple has received letters that have opened his eyes to the issue, We have just begun the
college search process for our 10-year old daughter and your college is at the top of our list.
(Ripple, G. Gary) Thats a little too early to be putting someone through big decisions in life let
alone make the decision for them. This pressure can help destroy a students self-confidence and
cause stress and anxiety in their daily lives. Over time this can cause health problems that can
negatively effect social skills and even cause eating disorders. Parents and teachers go on loading
their students up with massive workloads to try and push them to succeed when it actually does a
lot of damage, and then they get frustrated when they dont get the results they expect.
Students in this day in age undergo a lot more pressure and have a larger workload than
those of the past. Thus happening due to the demanding economy and high-tech industries that
require large skill sets in order to land a job after high school. A lot of pressure is brought on by
ones self but the second suspects are normally mom and dad. Most parents put so much pressure
on their high school students to get into a good school that they cant even enjoy their high
school years, essentially bringing them down when they cant let out their young side.
(healthychildren.org) The American Academy of Pediatrics has studied the scenarios of parents
putting large work loads on their children and have found ways to avoid giving them too much.
When someone is feeling overwhelmed, they often seem irritable or exhausted. Its a very easy
way to determine and help avoid putting too much stress on a child or student to do well. The
easiest way to avoid putting too much stress on them is to evaluate your expectations.
Demanding substantially higher grades in school when the student is putting in an immense
amount of effort already is a way to set someone up for immediate failure. (healthychildren.org)

While stress is a natural response, we humans are unable to turn it off. (Stress; Portrait
of a Killer) Stress can literally eat someone alive, and is not to be taken lightly. Along with
anxiety, the two are known to be direct causes of eating disorders, weight gain and weight loss,
and depression. All of which are very unhealthy for someone to endeavor; especially someone at
a younger age or high school level. When stress is present, the body can shut down some of its
functions like the immune system making it very easy to catch any viruses. When a parent or
administrator or even a counselor is trying to get a student to perform past their abilities it can
make the student feel like they arent good enough, adding more to the initial problem of not
doing well in school. On top of that, pressuring someone to go to college when they do not want
to or making someone go to a school they dont want to can cause them to underperform due to
the fact they dont have an interest in what they are doing.
The change from high school level learning to collegiate level can be very drastic as well.
The material being taught as well as the environment can be big changes to someone. Many
times big changes in some ones life can be the number one cause for stress. The transition to
college creates a situation where regular contact with traditional supports, e.g., friends from high
school and family, may be reduced. (Suzanne S. Hudd) Without the support that someone is
used to having behind them, they might start to see self esteem changes which of course will
build up stress, causing the health issues in the long run.
Aside from college, there are other alternatives that a student or child may take interest in
to avoid the pressure of doing something that doesnt interest them. There are trade schools that
teach you the trade rather than give you a plethora of classes you must take to acquire a degree.
Some examples of trades are electricians, plumbers and even cosmetologists. (The School
Directory) Trade schools can also be cheaper and get you in the field faster. They generally are

for people who want to land a good job as soon as they get out of school and want to stick with
that job for quite some time.

Parents and teachers shouldnt pressure their students to go to college after high school or
try to push a student to perform past their abilities. Parents also should avoid pushing their kids
to go to a school that makes them look good rather than their student actually showing an interest
in it. As you can see, doing so can cause immense amounts of stress, which can cause problems
in the long run. Its always most important that someone is able to make their own decisions in
what they want to do with their life. If they arent happy with what they are doing then they wont
get to live their life to full potential. Some people are made for college and others are not.

Works Cited
Cruz, Fabio C., et al. "Adolescent Vulnerability To Cardiovascular Consequences Of Chronic
Social Stress: Immediate And Long-Term Effects Of Social Isolation During
Adolescence." Developmental Neurobiology 1 (2016): 34. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Mar.
2016.
Hudd, Suzanne S., et al. "Stress At College: Effects On Health Habits, Health Status And SelfEsteem." College Student Journal 34.2 (2000): 217. Sociological Collection. Web. 6 Mar. 2016
Ripple, G. Gary. "Gold-plating our students; wanting 'more' for their kids, parents today are
pressuring them to go to a brand name college." Newsweek 1988: 9. Academic OneFile. Web. 6
Mar. 2016.
Stress. : Portrait Of A Killer. n.p.: New York, N.Y. : Films Media Group,
2010. Sinclair Library. Web. 6 Mar. 2016.

[2010],

"Trade School vs Traditional College." School Information and Listings. The School Directory.
Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
"When the Pressure to Excel Gets Out of Hand." HealthyChildren.org. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.