In the 2nd semester of highschool senior year, should one start viewing/seeing themselves as a college student?

[Vanitas]

I'm in my 2nd semester of senior year and I was wondering, should I feel this way?

[Celyn]

There's no right or wrong way to how you should feel. Whatever you feel, is right for you. It can be helpful to start preparing and thinking for life as a college student and what you want to get out of college. But it's not entirely necessary as everyone feels different about it, especially if you don't plan on going to college. It's best to focus on the present: I imagine you still have classes to attend and exams to pass, so it's probably best to focus on them.

I never felt like a college student until I was in the 2nd year of college

[Nightblood.]

I don't think someone should really see themselves as a college student while still in the last year of high school because really, you aren't a college student yet. Even if you've been admitted you're still a high school student and college, in my opinion, is extremely different than high school.

[Vanitas]

Yeah I agree. I ask this because lately, I feel like my dad has been pressuring college on me way too much. Like all he ever wants to talk about is it and where I'm going to go and he's already talking about me doing stuff after like setting up my own business and I'm like "wow, dad, relax, thats years from now." If I don't do something on it right away he gets pretty annoyed and I think he's focused too much on me going to college. I know he wants what is best but I think he needs to lay off the college stuff tbh.

[Nightblood.]

You should definitely be figuring out where you want to go because there ARE deadlines.

[Vanitas]

Yes of course I do, I have already done plans and have an idea. I have not put it off to the last minute but I feel like my dad is placing a lot of pressure on me to do so

[Celyn]

I think it's a natural thing for parents to do. You are getting nearer to leaving school, so your dad may be wondering what's going to happen next and how you are coping with exams. It's another transition in life and any time things in life change it can be sometimes be a bit difficult to adjust to. It's best to keep your dad in the picture of your plans and what you want to do. He may then calm down a bit, once he realises you have a plan for the future. However, sometimes parents might disagree with what they think their child should do, and this might be another reason for your dads behaviour. But ultimately, what you want to do is up to you.

[Lelola]

In all honesty, no unless you're in college. You're not doing college work. You're still set on a schedule and you can go to jail if you don't show up to school. I was in college when I was sixteen and I honestly could tell you the difference between high school and college was dramatic.


However, you're not likely to magically mature over the summer. Not much will change except you'll meet new people and start being more responsible for your own work such as whether you choose to do it or not.

As long as you have a plan and have applied for college or looked at the deadlines I don't think you should put too much emphasis on college. You should take time to enjoy your senior year.

Parents are gonna stress about that and they have a lot of ideas about what their kids should do but at the end of the day you need to do what makes you happy. Major in what you want, enter college when you want, etc.

[Jupiter]

Personally, I feel like you're on the right track Vanitas. You should definitely start seeing yourself as a college student and I wish someone told me the very same thing at your age.

Messing around made it that much harder to get into my school and program of choice, elongating my undergraduate process by about two years. Had I settled down and actually put in some effort in high school (you don't even have to work that hard), everything would have probably been much easier.

There's also a reason why the kids who actually studied in high school have gone on to be successful in university; studying and succeeding is infectious and once you get the hang of it, you'll keep at it.