We have come to the point that we have been waiting for since our freshman year- the year of having it all figured out. Ha! If only that were the truth.
This is the time that tests who we are, what we want for our future, and what we are willing to do to get ourselves there. As Charles Dickens would say, this is the best of times, this is the worst of times. We have worked our way through the arduous junior year, experienced the initial high of school seniority, and are now a mere quarter away from identifying ourselves as the renowned “second semester seniors.” But we are in the middle of the final push: there can be no more stalling- college admissions deadlines are on the near horizon, and they are not going to be as forgiving as your teachers may be.
Though thinking about colleges that I could be studying in in less than a year’s time is, beyond doubt, incredibly exciting, it is also nerve-wracking beyond belief. There are so many different documents to complete, for so many different schools, due at so many different times, that even for someone like me, usually organized to an almost obsessive extent, it can seem overwhelming. This ever-present stress, combined with what teacher’s menacingly call “midterms,” is almost unbearable.
I cannot remember the last time I thought about anything besides my mental to-do list as I walked home from school. It is difficult for me to embrace the moment that I am in, constantly distracted by what I “should be” thinking about- the admissions process, school.
However, this way of living is detrimental. At this pivotal point of stress and hard work, it is essential that we take a moment to look around us. Has anyone noticed that the sun is still brilliantly shining even though it is already late October? What about the crunchy autumn leaves lining the sidewalks? Have you noticed how much more pleasant our grade has gotten since freshman year? It is so exciting to see how much we have grown here together, and to ponder on how we will continue to grow when apart.
Though we are almost at the end of our high school career, right now is the time to really focus our remaining energy on applications and academics. But, don’t forget to look around you while you do so.
