No doubt about it, high school has been the highest point of my life so far. Granted, I am only seventeen so take that into consideration as you will.
Yes. In all honesty, these past four years have been the best years of my life. In a few months, however, this chapter will be closing. Actually, it will be closing for a lot of people – a projected 3.3 million according to the Projections of Education Statistics of 2017 to be exact.
A new chapter of my life begins to open up as college approaches. The painstaking and challenging process of actually attending college seems to be one of my hardest challenges yet.
One must act with constant patience and determination in order to attend college. In applying for college, there lies a series of actions required to be accepted.
After going through this process several times (18 times to be exact) – I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable on the subject of applications. By no means am I a college counselor, however, I hope to provide you with something that you can actually use to help you.
I would like to begin with a series of introductory elements for underclassmen. My tips are made according to what I perceive to be the most helpful based on your current grade level.
If you are a freshman, start looking. It really is never too early. Look for colleges, places you would like to live (or can tolerate living in), your passions (explore new things, try everything), potential majors, scholarships, practice SAT and ACT tests (this I find is most crucial to beginning this process) and speak to your college counselor. When you start your college journey, just make sure not to get to overwhelmed. Perhaps subscribe to mailing lists but avoid over-complicating and stressing about things. You still have plenty of time. Build up endurance for the college process, but do not crush your stamina. Also, un-college related, make more friends. Make as many friends as possible. Go out of your way to say hi to someone. Sit with someone you do not know from middle school. My favorite movie, We Bought A Zoo, has an amazing quote that says, “You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.” Seize every day. Carpe Diem, freshies.
If you are a sophomore, continue that passion for your college journey. Sophomore year crushed a lot of my progress I was starting to make freshman year in my future. Due to extremely hard AP classes and between extra-curriculars, I simply did not have time to prioritize college. Avoid making the same mistake. Continue that drive. Do not let others discourage you. Sometimes, as a sophomore, your feel left-out. The freshman are the newbies and constantly receive attention and love.
The juniors prepare themselves to be leaders in the school and earn a higher status.
The seniors begin to receive more mutual respect and act as the big role models. However, you are just as important and valuable to the school. Yes, Sophomore year is incredibly important. The grades you will get matter. I cannot stress this enough.
Take this time to achieve academic success and, in addition, involve yourself. GET INVOLVED! Do things you haven’t done! EXPLORE! Perform theater! Run track! Compete in chess! Volunteer! All these things are inherently good but come with an added bonus of a boost in your college resume.
I’ll be back again next month with this continuing saga of getting ready for college. Until then . . .
