Education is considered the key to success. The more a person reads, the more things they will know, the more they will learn, and the more places they will go. A person who aims to acquire higher education attains greater income, economic stability, and life quality. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “In 2020, doctoral degree holders earned a median weekly salary over 20% higher than those with a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree salaries were also significantly higher—over 18% greater than those who stopped their higher education at the bachelor’s level.”

Earning a higher educational degree requires more effort and plans. Some students prepare their mindset early enough on what to expect as that was their plan. In most cases, students don’t realize if they want to follow that path until later on in the future. Advanced/AP Chemistry teacher, Dr Linn Thatcher had no intentions of getting his doctorate, but with time he had a change of mind.

“I took kind of a long meandering path to get there. I started as a psychology major fresh out of high school and then I switched to biochemistry and decided I wanted to go to medical school. I finished my biochem degree and was in the process of applying for medical school,” Thatcher said. “I realized that I didn’t want to do that anymore. So I went to grad school to get my PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. Halfway through grad school, I realized I hated doing lab work. So I finished off getting my PhD and then eventually became a teacher after that ”

To prepare students for the strenuous work in college, some high schools have implemented ways to help. They have applied a few college classes to develop and ease students into the workload that’s in college. Junior Claudia Yovonie is among the students taking college classes.

“So they’re starting to implement more of college classes, like AP classes and TCC classes,” Yovonie said. “Having more things on the side like Ben Barbara innovation, and that’s a really good place to start getting ready for the career that you want to take on in the future. They have classes that you wouldn’t normally see at any other public school”

As students plan on how high they want to achieve in school, there are possibilities of encountering some challenges. However, with advice from others who have accomplished a high level of education, young scholars have an idea of what to expect and how to go along with it. Advanced/ On-level teacher, Dr. Cunnigham shares some suggestions that could assist undergraduates as they progress higher.

“Remember that your undergraduate degree has a big impact on getting into grad school, but it’s not everything. You also need to network and build relationships with those professors at the college, if you want to go to the same college to determine what areas of field you’re interested in,” Cunningham said. “If you’re going to get a higher education, are you going to get a higher education because you want it for your job in the real world? Are you going to higher education because you desire to teach at a four-year university? You have to just decide where you’re gonna go and then work in that direction.

From time to time, students are more likely to get burned out as a result of the loads from different classes at school. Regardless, some teachers try to reduce their scholar’s stress. Thatcher describes some of the strategies he uses in his class that help his students.

“Try to give the class time to do homework so that it minimizes what they have to do after school. Don’t give homework over breaks,” Thatcher said. “Try to encourage students to find time to take care of themselves. Being mentally stable is the only way to survive school when it gets very difficult to handle.”

As seniors approach their last year in high school, they figure out what is the next step they want to take. Some of them decide to go to college and get more than just a bachelor’s/master’s degree. However, the steps in acquiring aren’t always easy because it requires lots of dedication. With the help of their teachers and advice from others who have achieved that level of education, they are aware of what to do.