The Brink of Change

To take a turn away from the problems of the world, I'd like to change the subject to something a bit more domestic. An issue essentially every high school senior is facing right now: college. The big, flashing, alarming word. College. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. But what is it about this word that makes us so scared?

As a high school senior, it seems as if the road getting to college is the worst part. Everyone used to say senior year would be the easiest, but so far its the hardest. The essay, the grades, the teacher recommendations, the ACT score, the SAT score, the supplements, the Common App, the stress, the lack of a social life. All of these things are part of the long college application process. It seems as if this list is what we are afraid of. There is something about compiling 20 issues together that makes us stressed. And having to deal with these issues in a short amount of time. This huge load of work that must be done is dumped on us and interrupts our normal flow of life.

But the fact people tend to miss is that this is part of life. Change occurs on a regular basis. For some of us, the transition into college life will be the biggest move we will make. So how do we begin to wrap our heads around this? How do we decide where we want to go, who we want to be, what we want to study? Many wise people have told me that sometimes the best thing to do is to simply pick a road and drive down it. To all my soon to be college students: choose a road, drive down it for a while, check out the side roads, and decide whether you want to continue or make a left turn onto another street. It seems daunting, because it is. Personally, I am having issues choosing a road. Eventually, the deadline will creep up on me and I will have to make a decision. But my advice is to think carefully, and choose what your gut tells you. (If you don't like this advice, and want a more qualified opinion, visit this link for a video and explanation on how to survive the college application process: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/14346427/ns/today-parenting/t/tips-how-survive-getting-college/)

And another thing we forget is that college is going to be both what we expect and nothing that we expect at all. Part of what makes college exciting is that we don't know who our friends are going to be or what we will end up studying. This will one of, if not the most important change in our lives. The worst thing we can do is worry and reject the change, because no matter what, college will come. In the meantime, all you high school seniors need to relax, enjoy your last year of high school, and really contemplate what you want to do with your lives. Because the most important turn is coming.