Reality Doesn't Meet the Ambitions Of Many Teens

Elizabeth Agnvall:

As parents and guidance counselors encourage high school students beginning the new school year to pursue their dreams, a new study suggests that many of them are setting their sights too high.

Researchers at Florida State University (FSU) studied teens' educational and occupational plans between 1976 and 2000 and found a widening gap between what teens believe they will do after graduation and their actual achievements, a problem that the study's authors say can lead to wasted resources, anxiety and distress.

"High school students' plans for what they will achieve are increasingly distant from what's likely," said lead author John Reynolds. The FSU sociology professor said other studies have shown a disconnect between students' goals and their achievements, but this one shows that the gap has grown in the past 30 years.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 9, 2006 6:12 AM
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