College readiness standards for kindergarteners. Seventh graders taking the ACT and SAT. High school freshmen stressing out about class ranks. The amount of pressure society puts on young kids and students is ridiculous and needs to stop.

Plain and simple children from far too young an age are asked about things like college, careers and families. While it’s one thing for these questions to be asked to high school students, asking them to Kindergarteners might be a bit much. 

Now due to these concepts being pushed upon them at such a young age they’re starting to dread it rather than look forward to it. Students have had too much time to overthink their futures and stress about it – childhood is rough enough without college readiness exams. 

While the pressure and questions may encourage critical and logical thinking, it’s being thrusted upon them too quickly. No kid even understands these ideas fully, much less to the extent of someone about to go into it. Not to mention, that by the time they get to high school the decisions they might’ve made before will almost certainly change, making all of the effort to make a plan a waste of time. 

Instead of wasting all of this time and effort, maybe kids could have their creativity and personal interests fostered at a younger age, so that when it does come time for them to make major life choices, they know themselves well enough to make one responsibly.

Young kids don’t have a lot going on in their lives by default, they aren’t built to. However, one cannot just leave children to their own devices all the time, they need guidance, structure, and balance. Kids do need to be put on a path, but a loose one. Teach them and show them how to be a good student, but don’t expect them to all immediately have and proceed to hold a solid 4.0 GPA their entire lives. Some kids just aren’t cut out for it.