[rmshea]

I can attest to this. I'm currently working my way through the college application pipeline, and my peers are laser focused on what it takes to get into a good college. Rather than pursuing what interests them, many choose challenging courses just to have a favorable transcript, and standardized test stress is an epidemic. Anxiety about "getting in" to a good school supersedes any dreams of starting a venture or pursuing an option that isn't a 4-year prestigious university.

The disappearance of new ventures can be attributed in some way to this new way of thinking. I've been told that college anxiety didn't exist 20 years ago -- maybe it's time to go back to those days. High school, in my mind, is a time to experiment and find what actually interests you: not to manifest into a homework bot that's dominated by stress.

This isn't always the case, though. The 25-year-old with life experience and a past of experimentation still exists, it's just not the norm anymore.

[varrock]

I've done some serious reflecting on exactly what you've said. I'm on that "safe" route. I went through the college anxiety, the GPA worries -- all of that was my mantra. To this day, I still admit to being a "resume" builder. I want things on a paper for a sense of achievement.

This scares me, though. I'm starting to realize that is not what it's about. It's about making a difference. Sure, you can indeed make a difference doing what you and I have described. A company needs people like that. But I always wonder, could I have made an even bigger difference doing something else? I'm not even talking about my education. I've even thought about this for sports.

For instance, I grew up playing baseball religiously because I had already invested a lot of my time with it. I didn't want to adhere to anything else for the fear of wasting my time. Here I am, years later, realizing I would've been an even better tennis player had I actually been open to trying something that would've given me more success, but potentially been less safe (starting a new sport in the middle of being so devoted to one already). Here I am, hitting with racquet on every volley, wishing that I had bought into the sport earlier because I know I could've been better at it than I was baseball.

[pteredactyl]

I hear you. I believe it's most rewarding, in general, to create your own path.

You will fail. Embarrass yourself. 'Let down' family and friends. But you'll know those that really care about you.

And you'll find out what you're made of. Oh, and have some good stories along the way.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

[orbifold]

What matters in addition to grades is personality and people you know. Things stay anonymous in university during undergrad for the most part, but if you are really good professors will start to notice you and then you get invited to join seminars, do internships etc. Especially in intellectually very competitive fields like math and physics everyone recognizes that tests do not really matter, they are nescessarily trivial or test only a small subset of skills you need to do research.

[e40]

I've been told that college anxiety didn't exist 20 years ago

As the parent of a HS senior in the fall, I long for those old days (like it was when I was in HS). It's insane what we put kids through. Unintended side effects are a real thing, and they are very, very hard to know in advance.

[pteredactyl]

It doesn't help that our major cities are currently set up in a way that people have to work crazy hours and have high-performing jobs to get ahead ( or just to survive in some cases ).

What if we built more housing? Brought down the cost of rent.

Not to mention the criminal price of healthcare and education.