Junior Spring: Keeping Perspective
Around this time of year, many juniors start feeling the pressure and stress that the college application process brings. Meetings between parents and college counselors appear on the calendar. Spring break becomes an opportunity to visit nearby colleges. The May SAT, AP exams, and SAT IIs become very real. All the while, the anticipation simmering within the senior class intensifies as April mailing deadlines creep closer. All of this trickles down to remind the college-bound junior that the process is just beginning.
It is important to keep in mind that you have two choices.
First: this process can be fun, personal and exciting as long as you keep perspective on what you want, why you want it and how you’re going to try to get it. Second: this process can take on a life of its own guided by other people’s expectations, external pressures and unreliable information.
Obviously, the first option is more desireable than the second, so try to keep perspective on why you're doing the activities you're doing, what you're getting out of them, and how you plan to translate that into success in the future. You've probably worked really hard so far in high school so consider the college search process an opportunity to celebrate both what you've accomplished and what your goals are in the future. Whatever you do, keep the expectations of family and friends in check - they should support and motivate you. And if for some reason they do not, be sure to maintain your own sense of self in this process for it is you who will be going off to college after graduation. It will be an amazing experience so make sure you start off the process with a clear, positive, focused head.
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Posted on March 13, 2008 under |
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Comments (3)
YOUR SO RIGHT!!
I FEEL HE PRESSURE AND STRESS COMING..!
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Posted on March 13, 2008 10:07 AM
omg i know the feeling ! i'm glad i've went through all of this already and the only stress now is to find out where i got in . whooo : ] AP test coming on too ! lol just when i thought it was all over ....
Posted on March 17, 2008 5:20 PM
I had a quick question. If I have to take an SAT II test in the spring of my senior year, is there a way to still report that to my college or is that date too late? Do I have to have all my tests in by October for early action, even if I haven't taken a course yet to take the SAT II?
Posted on March 19, 2008 9:25 PM