Students in the 21st century feel pressured to decide their futures before they even graduate high school. Kids are told everything happens for a reason, and how the choices they make now will determine the path they take in the future. For some, these decisions could lead to very different lives. They also play a big role in developing character.

Junior and senior years are thought to be the most contributing part of a student’s high school experience. Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs), American College Testings (ACTs), college applications, and college acceptances. At Rochester Adams High School, students can choose to take the SAT, ACT, or both, which can relieve some tension.

All four years of high school are taken into consideration when getting accepted into college. The classes a student takes matters, and the extracurriculars matter. Colleges look for well rounded students who challenge themselves, and contribute to the community. That means joining clubs, sports, or even community service on top of the challenging classes they take.

Rochester Community Schools has many programs to try and prepare their students for college, but it does not mean these programs will ease their minds. Kids have to plan what classes they are going to take in order to be prepared for college. If someone knows they want to go into medicine, then they have to decide what courses they are going to take the following year.

On top of that, to get more credits for college, some kids will take as many as Advanced Placement (AP) classes as they can. Students know that if they pass the AP exam at the end of year it will help help them in the future. However, if they take too many AP classes, the student could fall behind and the courses would end up hurting them instead of helping.

“I felt extremely stressed out to a point that I cry almost every day. I stay up almost every night and feel overwhelmed. I have no time to hang out with friends or eat downstairs,” said freshmen Parnia Haste.

Students spend hours studying to make sure their grades are up to par. In doing so, they make themselves exhausted and then they have to do it all over again the next day.

On the other hand, preparing for college during high school can be very helpful for some students. The pressure to choose a degree in high school focuses students on what they really want to do.

“I already know it’s important to take a job in an area I’m both talented in and passionate about, so I’ve narrowed it down to only a few professions,” said junior Max Schein.

Students today face a lot more pressure to decide their future more than ever. College is on the minds of many students at Adams, but the future is unpredictable. Students should not be overworked to the point where they cannot enjoy their high school experience.