Planning the rest of their lives while still in high school is a lot of pressure for students.  In fact, more than half of high school students feel pressure to make decisions about their futures too soon, according to a new BestColleges survey of 1,000 currently enrolled high school students (Bryant).  Moreover, according to Forbes, 65 percent of respondents to a Joblist survey said they work in a career field that their parents wanted for them (Perna).  

Lancaster High School students have been preparing for their futures as early as middle school. Courses like Freshman Focus and weekly activity periods on Tuesday promote planning for careers after high school. LHS students from all grade levels have been exposed to the soon-to-be reality of post-high school. 

LHS junior Baylee Poling spoke about how planning for your future while being young can be a difficult process, but waiting too long can be stressful. 

“It is a lot for a fourteen or fifteen year old to wrap their head around, speaking as someone who has been in that position, but I see that some of my friends are not sure of what they want and they have to figure it all out in junior and senior year.” 

The three E’s, enrollment, employment, and enlistment have been consistently promoted to LHS students from administrators, counselors, and teachers. Poling said that during her freshman year, she considered all her options before decision-making. 

“During freshman year I thought about enlistment, and I feel that entertaining other options was an important part of me realizing what I truly want.”

The thought that schools start having students plan their futures as early as middle school had some students questioning if that’s too soon. LHS senior Alec Lamascola said middle school is too soon to commit to a future career.

“I think it is completely okay to get an idea of what you might want to do as early as middle school but nothing should be that hardcore set in stone that early for the most part, creativity gets a little torn away at that point.”

Some students feel the pressure of having to go to college or into the workforce straight after high school. Lamascola said that although those are great options for some, students might need a break after graduating high school.

 “If you must take a gap year I think it seems completely alright to do so, and going to col

lege or enlisting is not necessary by any means for many people,” he said.  

“As a freshman, I wanted to be an elite gymnast out of college and now three years later I would like to pursue musical theater after high school,” said Lamascola.

Incoming freshmen may feel the pressure of knowing what their future should look like. The transition from middle school to high school can be stressful. 

Ashlin Henderson, an LHS freshman English teacher was asked what advice she’d give students and talked about what students have learned in school, which can help for post-high school life. 

“Take school and grades seriously. They are learning a lot of information that they may not use, but we are preparing them for whatever they decide to do after high school,” she said.

“Know the kind of jobs and careers that are available. Most students don’t know what they want to do that young though, and there might even be jobs that haven’t even been developed yet,” said Henderson.