College: Is It a Waste of Time?

Controlling Pressures

There are many college pressures presented to students today. College is such a stressful

time for students. It's a time when students try and find out who they really are and realize their

own identity. In William Zinsser's essay, "College Pressures", he analyzes four different kinds

of pressures he feels college students currently face. He states that students do have the ability to

control some of the pressures they put upon themselves. He makes it sound so easy but it is a lot

more complex. For instance, some students cannot control their economic background or the

pressure their peers and friends put upon them. Students can, however, control self-induced

pressure, pressure they put on themselves.

I don't really see economic pressure being an issue in this day and time. If someone

wants to go to college, they can apply for loans or financial aid. It is very unusual for someone to

be turned down a chance for a college education. I do, however, understand that not everyone

understands what opportunities are open to them. They must be resourceful and eagerly go after

the education they might so desperately want.

Everyone always expects you to be the smartest or the leader or the one to turn to

when no one else understood. In some ways, I feel that our own educational system puts this

type of pressure on students. It may be a self induced pressure but this self induced pressure has

some outside help. It stems basically from the expectations that others have on you, so therefore,