High school students are influenced by factors from within and outside during their school years. The six critical external factors that influence a student’s decision making include –
- Peers’ fake wisdom: Seemingly strong opinions and discussions of peers about specific streams being more rewarding than others – “STEM pays.”
- Parental lost treasure: Tendency to turn their ambitions into the youngster’s life lesson – “You need to make money to survive.”
- College rankings: High-ranking colleges make the rest look irrelevant or less remarkable. “US News ranking is the gold standard for where to go.”
- Colleges define courses and majors: Tail wagging the dog. There are as many or more happy people from good colleges than elite ones – “I’d rather do General Studies if it’s Cal Tech.”
- High scores reflect interest: High scores in subjects do not necessarily reflect an interest in the subject – “You’ve got an A+ in Chemistry. I am sure you like it.”
- Celebrity culture: Influenced by their sports teams or icons from the school, colleges are preferred by students – “I like their sports program, so I’d pick any major in this school.”
It’s essential to be mindful of being influenced. Better to make a personal decision than be in collective confusion.