One minute you’re chatting with friends while walking around the football field during P.E, the next you’re debating which of your five AP exams to take. To prevent this total whiplash, there are several things you should do. 

I know what you’re thinking, “Seriously? These kids have just started high school, and you’re already pushing college onto them? They’re 14.” 

I agree; it’s ridiculous that we expect young adults to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at 14. High schoolers should be having fun and learning about who they are, not stressing over the future of their lives. 

However, school needs to prepare kids for their future education, and many seniors agree that high school flies by quickly. Many seniors look back at sophomore and junior year and wish they’d done things differently. 

So let’s get underclassmen ready — not scare them. 

Learning about college applications, student loans, resumes, extracurricular activities, and non-profit organizations is daunting. Students need to know what to do and create a game plan before they realize they waited too long. 

“If I had any advice for underclassman, it would be to ensure that you have a plan. Although questions surrounding what you want to do after high school may be daunting, it’s important to have an outline or a goal to work towards. You don’t have to have the next five years of your life perfectly planned out, but I think it’s beneficial to at least consider what paths you want to pursue in your future,” said senior Aleesha Askari. 

One minute a student is chatting with friends in the cafeteria, the next they’re debating which of their five AP exams they should take. To prevent this, there are several things students should do. 

Firstly, AP exams and college classes will become less scary and daunting if a students starts early. As a sophomore, there are very few AP level courses available but students should take the ones they can. 

For example, AP World History taught by Kristine Bird and Joshua Nation, is a great class to start. “I wish I would have taken AP World, although I love Mr.Daniel I felt like I should have taken a more difficult class in my strongest core subject,” said senior Sophie Detorie. 

It may seem scary, especially since there are so many students saying the class is difficult, but Bird and Nation give students many opportunities to improve their grades. The class may be challenging at first, but it’s a great stepping stone for students. 

Many students skip AP World but take AP United States History as a junior, but starting as a sophomore gives students more time to adjust to harder classes. “I wish I would have been a better student as an underclassmen and taken more challenging courses and focused on my grades more. I think it would help me a lot as a senior taking AP’s for the first time, plus in college applications,” said Detorie. 

On the topic of classes, there’s also a wide variety of classes and electives students should research. In addition to this, Virtual Loudoun gives students the opportunity to take classes online during summer or the school year. 

It’s completely normal for young students to not know what they want to do when they’re older, but they probably have interests with correlating elective classes. Even if students don’t have a potential career interest, they most likely know if they’re a STEM or liberal arts student. 

Another important part of high school is getting to know the counselors. Each student is assigned a counselor based on their last name in alphabetical order. They serve to plan out schedules, provide support, and help students. 

It’s important to build relationships with counselors and teachers because they will need to write recommendation letters for students. Building these relationships will also help students feel more comfortable at school. 

One of the most important considerations when it comes to college are student loans. Everyone knows college is expensive but oftentimes students are shocked to see how bad things truly are. 

Many Potomac Falls graduates end up pursuing a degree at Virginia Tech for example. According to SchooLinks, nearly 70 Potomac Falls students who graduated in 2023 and 30 who graduated in 2024 attended the university. 

This is to say many students also paid the total cost for tuition, plus the cost of food and housing, books and supplies, and transportation and personal expenses. For in-state students the average cost is $37,182 each year according to U.S News & World Report. 

Under Trump’s Project 2025, post high school education may get even more expensive. The project states, “the federal government should confine its involvement in education policy to that of a statistics-gathering agency that disseminates information to the states.” 

This means students will have to acquire student loans from private companies instead of the federal government. Private loans are often more expensive and have higher interest rates. 

To combat this, students should look into internships and jobs to help fight against the cost. Even before senior year, students should look up scholarships and discuss with older friends and siblings how they’re managing everything. 

Lastly, it is important to balance school work and a social life. Make sure to have fun while preparing for the future. There is no point in being miserable for four years. 

“My advice for underclassmen would be to find a balance between enjoying high school and focusing on grades, participate in clubs and extracurriculars that you love, and to not worry too much about college and careers yet,” said Detorie. 

“I think the best clubs and organizations to do are those that truly matter to you. Whether that be a cause you support, a special interest, or a community you’re a part of, I would recommend that students identify the things that are important to them,” said Askari.

No matter where students go to college, they can have a great college career and make lifelong friends.