By: Syann Engelhard –

Students are always under the constant pressure to succeed in school. Whether it’s socially or academically, there’s always somewhere to show your intelligence in a given subject. How that pressure impacts your mind though, is key to a successful future. High school is a crucial time for mental development, and oftentimes students are unknowingly making decisions that will impact who they become in their future. It’s a common practice for adolescents to delve into a specific group(s) to discover their sense of self, and set the grounds for what they want to identify with.

Senior Jessica Schafer said her social life flourished in high school and she credits LSE’s diverse population with this growth. “High school has taught me about many different kinds of people. It helped me realize that not everybody will like me. That was a hard realization – until I figured that out, I tried to please everybody. Once I realized that’s impossible,  started living a more genuine life. Still, today I struggle with accepting that people won’t always like me. It’s a hard realization.”  

Often times peers, such as friends and teachers, can provide a backbone that helps boost morale and direct students to their desired path in the future.

UNL Freshman Cooper Creal, having found his passion in high school after working heavily in the music department, said “My outlook on my own personal success in college has definitely increased since leaving high school. In high school I was very bright-eyed and excited for my future. My teachers told me they believed in me and were proud of my successes, and this helped to reaffirm my already-existent self-confidence.”

Often times seniors find themselves under a lot of pressure to find what they’re passionate about — especially when going on to college.

“After high school, I’m going to UNL,” said Schafer. “Originally I was planning on going to some fancy private school, but some circumstances of this year have made me realize that I want to stay close to home. I’m very relieved with my decision to go to UNL. I will have minimal debt and a high quality education.”

Students also find themselves contemplating the shift from high school to, in Creal’s case, college. “I think high school did a fine job preparing me adequately for college. Something significant that I have noticed that is different, with which others agree, is the classroom setting. In college, you must be awake, attentive, and present in most classes. Since you are only meeting two or three times a week, each class time is filled with information, making it extremely vital that you are not only paying attention, but doing it well. I have found it easier to do this in college than in high school, because the long 7-3 days of non-stop classes do not exist! I have a few back-to-back classes, but it’s easier to come in with a fresh mind when you haven’t been sitting for hours already.”

In turn, most often subconsciously, students look for ways to prepare themselves for their future. Creal, who finds himself juggling tons of activities outside of school said, “I think the biggest thing that high school taught me was the time-management. I was very involved in high school, from classes to rehearsals, to student council events to concerts. I kept busy. I had to learn to find a balance that allowed me enough alone time as well. Now that I’m in college, I find myself managing my time fairly well. Every week I sit down and write a to-do list for the week, and decide which days I will study, work on homework, and socialize.”

No matter what you find yourself doing to manage time, socialize, or prepare for your future, what you choose to do with that future is up to you.