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AP..P yeah you know me..

My Sophomore daughter is convinced that the only real way to get into college these days is to overwhelm herself with ton's of AP classes and having a GPA of 4.5... because her current 4.0 GPA isn't good enough.  

 But high school guidance counselors convince freshman and sophomores they won't get into college at all, if they don't take these AP classes or have 4.5 GPAs.  My daughter seems to believe that her high school education is highly pivotal to future successes and college acceptance.  

 Over and over again we try to tell our children to work hard and do their best but to enjoy and live life.  

 Last night my husband told our daughter about a women who went to his high school.  She was tried and true an academic, was the highest ranked in her class,  with the best GPA ... maybe she was even class valedictorian (and yes I had to spell check that.) She worked so hard in school and gave up a lot of the fun/social things, because she was going to have a future that was going to be most spectacular.  However... (you knew this was coming..)  less than a year after high school she was in an accident that made her a paraplegic. Everything she striven for was gone.  We grieve when something bad happens to someone who seemed to have it all together and then something tragic happens.  It's not uncommon.  

 At the end of each day, what's most important in life?  We should have healthy dreams and goals for ourselves...and I do believe in higher education.  Yet as I've gotten older I've grown to realize that life is way too short... stressful (enough).. and without guarantees.  

So my daughter will most likely still take a bunch of AP classes, but hopefully she realizes that education (yes is important) may open some doors, experiencing life will never be learned in a book or classroom... and you should never put your life on hold or allow high school guidance counselors to dictate your future.  
P.S.  I didn't take a single AP class in high school and I had to google what AP stands for (which is Advanced Placement)  When I did go to college (after a short gap) I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Business Administration and Accounting... I also had a really great time in High School with very little stress!   

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