One of the most beloved resources at Laguna Beach High School is the counseling team. It may not be evident to freshmen or even sophomores, but as students grow into their final years at LBHS, the counselors are absolutely indispensable to the college application and future planning process.

It may be scary at first to realize how big of an impact these four years have on future aspirations. The counselors are only here to help. They do not force meetings upon students, pressure them into taking classes harder than their capacity or make them apply for colleges they do not want to attend. Our counselors provide optional resources.

Sure, there’re mandatory meetings at the end of freshman and junior years, but two meetings in four years is nothing to balk at. Students can definitely handle a mere hour to pave their paths out for high school and beyond. It only takes one hour to create – not solidify – a smart, flexible and preparatory plan that will start students on a path to success.

LBHS is lucky to have such a small number of students (fluctuating around 1,000 each year) so that each counselor may focus on 350 or so students. At our school, there is no need to hire an outside college counselor for thousands of dollars. Each counselor here is more than willing to get to know every student – from there, it is the duty of the student to take advantage of the plentiful academic and career pathway support.

Parents are invited to take part in planning their students’ college and career goals. At any time, they are welcome to speak directly to the counselor, with or without the student. Believe me, keeping parents in the loop is definitely a key to future success – of both planning and keeping them off your back.

To those so scared of the future that they refuse to take advantage of the resources they are so kindly granted – I say grow up. There comes a time and a place when it is appropriate to make elementary plans for the future, and that time and place is around students’ sophomore year at Laguna Beach High School. Admittedly, deciding what all of these years of education is going to lead up to is scary, but simply ignoring the fact of the matter that decisions must be made is not helping anyone.

From planning next year’s classes to scholarship and life goals decisions, the counselors are there only for support. Not using them is just irresponsible.

At the end of the day (or our four years at LBHS), our school counselors will be as useful as students make them. It is the choice of the students whether they want to pass on the counselors’ vital help or make the best of the amazing resources they provide.