Essay: Should schools provide Guidance Counselors for high school students? (argumentative essay)

High school is a time of altering transition into adulthood and the real world of hard work as students separate from family, explore their independence, and build their own life. At this point, they’re looking for a place to belong to; the perfect fit. It is crucial that students have access to counselors during this transitionary period. In addition, feeling overwhelmed by exams and the future, losing a close friend or family member, and feeling not good enough are all examples of problems that every high school student goes through. These problems need to solved immediately because when they remain unsolved, such conflicts bring the student down causing them to fail academically, lose sleep, or even be depressed. This is where the student counselor comes in handy. Guidance Counselors hold a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. They expertise in psychology, counseling methods, and career guidance. They are mainly provided to prepare students for life after high school. Schools should provide Guidance Counselors for high school students. Although some people may argue that the time spent with a counselor will waste the student’s precious educational time, it is proven that guidance and counseling not only impact a student’s academic achievement and career success, but also the student’s social-emotional development.
To begin with, school counselors help students improve their academics. Research shows that nearly one-third of all public high school students do not end up graduating; due to the infinite stress and low incentive to be motivated learners with a bright future. As school dropout rates continue to rise, school counselors are needed more than ever for their academic support. In fact, this statistic can be avoided when schools start hiring more guidance counselors to provide mentorship opportunities and make suggestions for after-school support programs for their at-risk students. Guidance counselors help everyone from the senior trying to maximize his/her chance of getting into college to the freshman about to give up and drop out. Besides, high school is a time of increased stress that can negatively affect the students’ abilities to make suitable and reasonable decisions about their future for the welfare of themselves and others. Hence the school counselor should be the first person to get involved with students who are struggling academically.
Additionally, counselors tend to help students cope with feelings, social and personal problems, and challenges. Patrick J. O’Connor, School Counselor AF at the U.S.E.D. and the author of CCSC, once said, “By building in proactive strategies, including small-group counseling activities and discussions, counselors provide positive tips in coping with specific challenges or trauma students can incorporate in their lives, leading to a more stable mind, healthier decisions, and more positive actions.” According to Patrick, it is clearly evident that offering small-group counseling tends to help students enhance listening and social skills, learn to sympathize with others, and find social support through healthy peer relationships. This, coupled with individual counseling, can help students resolve personal problems. As a result, these guidance sessions provide the students with the required space to explore their own thoughts and come to new understandings on their own.
Some may believe that the time spent with a counselor will waste the student’s educational time. However, it has been proven that spending time with a counselor can benefit the student in two ways. First of all, they help academically. They tend to help them widen their exploration of careers by laying out their strengths, skills, and abilities. They also help improve their grades and become motivated learners. Another way counselors have an impact on students’ lives is by helping them get through hard times. Sometimes it is difficult to deal with tough challenges alone, especially at a young age. When the student feels like they need someone to talk to, the school counselor can be the perfect place to start. As a result, the student will be able to focus on school work and building a bright future.
In conclusion, schools should provide guidance counselors for high school students, because they help them get through tough challenges emotionally and socially. The world would be a better place if high schools provided guidance counselors. Fewer students would drop out, more students would become motivated learners, and our planet would be brighter than ever.