**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**
All around the nation, the class of 2023 is preparing for graduation. With most graduations being between one to two months away, many seniors are starting to wonder if they are ready for the next stage of their lives. In 2022, 72.7% of the nation’s seniors enrolled in a college. Though the months leading up to graduation tend to be known as the most crucial for seniors, the truth is preparation for graduation really starts in the first two years of high school.
The class of 2023 was hit by the pandemic the hardest. Though Covid-19 had its impact on students around the world, regardless of their grade, the class of 2023 was deprived of a normal first 2 years of high school. These two years are often the most fundamental. Many students take primary math and english classes these years. These subjects are some of the most crucial that students learn in high school, with many of them occurring on the ACT and SAT. This begs the question, is the class of 2023 ready for college?
After polling members of the VHHS Class of 2023, I gained some insight on how this matter affects our community. Only 25% percent said that they did not feel prepared for college, and with these margins it seems as though this would mean that 75% of VHHS seniors feel prepared: this is not entirely true. Of the 75% of the voting population that said yes, I asked them in what specific ways they felt prepared or not. The majority of the group seemed to have mixed feelings on whether they felt ready or not, with most of them saying they felt prepared in some subjects more than others, or that they felt prepared in some ways, but were in the dark in others. Many students told me that they feel well prepared in their English and History classes but when it comes to STEM subjects, they were worried. Another popular answer was that students are unsure about the mechanics of college, such as majors, scheduling, and the basic aspects of attending a university.
For the VHHS Class of 2023, it appears that many of us feel unsure about the next four years of our lives, but is this something that can be fixed? The answer is no. Seniors all around the country are uncertain about their future; it is natural. Though some seniors feel as though they have decided on what their major is or what field of work they want to pursue, 50% to 75% of all college students will change their majors, and that is ok. Seniors, if you feel worried about the next 4 years of your life, just know that you're not alone. For the upcoming seniors, try to enjoy your senior year. Everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to regardless of if you feel prepared in your STEM classes or not.
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