I never thought senior year would become so dreadful until this
month. Reality finally struck with a heavy load of college
applications, scholarships, grades, SAT
’s, recommendation letters and much more. Everything seems to
have accumulated into tension and hassle all at once.
I never thought senior year would become so dreadful until this month. Reality finally struck with a heavy load of college applications, scholarships, grades, SAT’s, recommendation letters and much more. Everything seems to have accumulated into tension and hassle all at once.
Why is it that no one warned me about this? Last year I asked several of my graduate senior friends if I had anything to worry about for my senior year and this is what they had to say: “Oh Cindy, relax. It’s the easiest and most relaxing year of all, so enjoy it and don’t worry so much.”
Relax! How can I relax when I know that this is the most important year of my life! (Well, at least that’s how I see it.) It drives me crazy just thinking how I’m going to get all this done in less than one month.
For four years I’ve been doing my best in school and participating in clubs and organizations to get into a good college, but now it all comes to the end and it’s time to apply for colleges.
Countless, endless, pessimistic thoughts come into my mind. “What if I don’t get in, what about all the sacrifice I’ve done for nothing?” “What will my parents and family have to say if I don’t get into a four-year college? I can’t let them down, I can’t!” As commissioner of diversity in A.S.B., vice-president of M.E.Ch.A, president of Fuerzas Unidas, feature editor of the Oak Leaf newspaper, courtesy clerk at Nob Hill Foods as a part-time employee, and now a columnist for the Morgan Hill Times while maintaining a 3.0 G.P.A, I can say I’m a pretty busy person.
Organization is very important in order to maintain everything on schedule and to make sure everything gets done. I have to admit as an average teen with three younger siblings, it hasn’t been easy. Washing the dishes, doing the beds, and all other chores around the house, which need to be done, how can I possibly have time for myself? This can be a major problem when you have too many things to worry about and have no time to enjoy and to get to know the real you.
Many students during their high school years undergo an identity crisis. In order to know what type of career best suits them, young people need to know who they really are and their genuine interests, not what their classmates think is cool. Until students discover their true selves, they can then narrow their career choices down to one or two possible fields. By doing this, students can then seek a college that best matches their interests.
I personally can’t remember how many times I changed my mind about various careers. From the age of nine until 16, I was almost certain that I wanted to become a lawyer, but then a year later I changed my mind when I began taking a journalism class. Once I began writing stories for the Oak Leaf newspaper at Live Oak High School, I realized journalism was the career for me.
Not only would I be able to share my opinions, but also have an important role in the public media where I could make a difference in the community. What I mean by making a difference is covering the people who are usually ignored and never heard about. I realized I didn’t want to be stuck with a job I wouldn’t enjoy just because of its high pay. What matters the most to me is interest in the career, not the pay.
The art of being a senior is knowing how to handle responsibility as an adult. Education is what gives people potential to do good things with their lives and it is something that can never be taken away, like money can. The key to such success is going to college and taking the first step in filling out college applications.
But of course, there will always be those who leave everything to the last minute and end up with stress they can’t handle. Therefore, seniors will have to face the consequences. I believe that even though this may be the last year for seniors at Live Oak, all the stress and tension they have gone through will eventually be repaid with open doors to a successful and bright future as adults.
