Have you ever had to go through a vital test that could alter your life for better or for worse, depending on your performance? This includes tests such as the SAT, ACT, etc.
“Pressure to Get Ahead” by Elizabeth L encompasses the academic lives of present teens perfectly. She describes how there is always a desire for academic success, whether it originates from the student, their parents, or both. Students want it so that they can have a brighter future and become the successes that they have always dreamed of being. Some may want the achievement as a symbol of their competence in academics. Parents desire it so that their children would have the qualifications to go on the path that gives them a 99% chance of attaining a better career.
In order to get this sought-after success, the pupil must score extremely well on a certain test, with the assessment varying depending on the situation. The student must score higher than the other students taking the examination in order to be recognized as a “cream of the crop” student who deserves the seat that they crave. However, this is not done by the pupil’s intellect and skills alone: now there are prep courses that prepare these students for their upcoming test by helping them sharpen their current skills, bringing them that much closer to their academic goals.
But this training comes with a hefty price: both in the wallet and in terms of time. Parents spend thousands of dollars on courses that attempt to enhance the skills that are required for passing a test with flying colors, or at least acquiring a better score than the rest. The summer days are spent sitting in a classroom, after students have done that monotonic task for nearly ten months. There is no guarantee, however, that the student will have their academic dream fulfilled. There is always the chance that many people will score higher than you, nerves obscure your judgment, or you simply have bad luck on the day of the test. Unfortunately, these are not rare occurrences, but when it does happen, that student feels like time and money were wasted and that all the after-school preparation was only a false path that led to failure.
I know of many teens who push themselves in prep classes so that they can have something to assist them further for what lies ahead. But it is not up to the prep courses that determine the outcome: it is the student themselves. Will the student retain the knowledge even after class is over? Does the student have the confidence to carry out their knowledge, or will their doubt cloud their way?
Elizabeth Liu stated what has crossed the minds of adolescents all over the world in ten paragraphs: What happened to the summer that I always yearned for? Why am I studying even after school let out? Will this preparation truly help me score better than the rest?
So the next time your parents decide to send you to prep, always remember that “you are who you make yourself.”