Senior year of high school is, without question, extremely stressful. With early decision deadlines as early as November 1st, the college admissions process forces its way to every crevice of your brain. You make your lists of potential schools, perfect your resume, continuously tweak your essays, and finally hit submit. And then, you wait. Not patiently, but anxiously—you lose sleep, you can’t focus in school, and the enormous questions of which schools will accept you and where you will be next year loom menacingly over your head. This waiting game = STRESSFUL! But fear not pre-collegiettes, there are ways to minimize and manage the stress that comes along with waiting to hear back from colleges.
So how do you deal with the stress and become a savvy senior, soon to be collegiette? Her Campus talked to Katie Malachuk, author of You’re Accepted: Lose the Stress. Discover Yourself. Get Into the College That’s Right For You and Colin Riley, Executive Director of Media Relations at Boston University to help pre-collegiettes power through the dreaded waiting game. Read on to see what you can do!
Stay Active
The busier you are, the less your mind will wander! Take this time to enjoy your final semester and in doing so, try some new things! “Rather than getting caught up in daydreams about the future, make this time all about this time,” says Malachuk. “Live the life that’s right here in front of you. It’s your last semester of high school! Don’t waste this time by projecting ahead into the future. Be here now.” Are there clubs you’ve never heard of that sound interesting? Is there a spring play you finally have the courage to audition for? Take advantage of what your high school is offering to you while you still can.
A Collegiette’s Story
Taylor White, a junior at Boston University, decided to try something new and different her senior year of high school. “During the second half of my senior year, I just wanted to have fun, so I decided to join the track team. It took my mind off of everything else that was going on. I was also on the golf team and directed the middle school play. These were all things I always wanted to do but hadn’t had the chance to try before my senior year. I met new people, had fun, and throughout the spring I was able to get my mind off of the unknown.”
What Can You Do?
- Talk to your guidance counselor about becoming a mentor. Mentoring a young student in your community is a great way to have fun while giving back. You generally only have to commit a few hours a week and you’ll feel great. You will have also found a great diversion!
- Try a sport you always wanted to. So, you always wanted to run for the track team like Taylor? Start running! You’ll become invested in your new sport, you’ll make new friends, and you’ll love being preoccupied!
- Help plan senior week! Join the planning committee for all of the senior activities that go on during the end of the year. You’ll keep busy, you’ll ensure a successful senior week, and you’ll be able to enjoy your hardworking peers throughout your final semester.
- Learn a new skill. For example, learn how to cook with limited resources. What are cheap meals you can prepare with a microwave in a dorm room? Look up some recipes and get practicing!
- Organize a fundraiser at your school! With the recent tragedy in Japan, there is no time like the present to raise funds and send your profits to the earthquake victims. Not only will you have made a difference, but you’ll feel good about giving back!
- Finalize your summer plans! Do you have a summer job lined up? If not, this is a perfect time to start looking. Do you have a vacation with your friends planned? If not, start researching cheap destinations!
- Develop a gym routine or ramp up the one you already have. Try out a new gym membership, or take a new fitness class. (Check to see if your gym has a student discount.) Alternatively, consider signing up for a spring sport.
- Spruce up your room by taking down old posters, organizing your closet, and getting rid of clutter you no longer need. It will take time, give you a change of scenery, and take your mind off of college decisions.
- Spend time with your family. Have a younger sibling? Take advantage of the time you have left with them. Help him/her redecorate their room. Take them shopping, bowling, or on a hike! Together, you can prepare dinner for your parents. It’ll make your parents happy, and you’ll feel good about spending time with your family before you leave in the fall.
- Take a local art class. Check with the art department of your high school to see if it can recommend any local classes. This fun after-school activity offers the opportunity to create unique artwork for your future dorm room.
Be Present
It’s definitely hard to stay completely focused and stress-free during the waiting game. But living with constant stress, worry, and fear is never healthy, and can take away from what your senior year has to offer! Don’t let your busy brain negatively affect you. Remain positive and present and work towards the ability to eliminate those stress-inducing “what if” questions.
A Collegiette’s Story
Meredith O’Neill, a senior at Boston University, found that she “got caught up in the race to hear back from colleges. I had a hard time focusing on my schoolwork. To help myself stay on track, I found that it was important to step back and concentrate on what was going on in the present. It helped me forget about all of my uncertainties and fears about where I would be in the fall.”
What Can You Do?
- Be confident. Colin Riley, Executive Director of Media Relations at Boston University, thinks high school seniors should remain feeling positive about what they’ve done and accomplished so far rather than let negative thoughts weigh them down. “You didn’t get here just by studying,” Riley says. “You got here by being a good student and a good member of society.” Be confident that what you’ve done so far in your high school career has been rewarding. The intelligent choices you’ve made so far have gotten you to this place where you can apply to good schools and universities. With this confidence, you can help minimize your waiting game fears.
- Breathe. Malachuk says to spend just a few minutes every day sitting and breathing. “First,” she says, “taking deep breaths will help you calm down immediately. Your body wants to be relaxed, and this will help. Second, you’ll notice how busy your mind is. You’ll try to sit and focus on your breath coming in and out. Next thing you know, you’re fantasizing about getting into college. This is normal. Rather than following the path of your thoughts, simply notice that you’re thinking and go back to watching your breath. Soon you’ll notice that your mind does this jumping around all the time, distracting you from living your life as it’s happening. If you practice coming back to the breath as you sit, you will get better at coming back to the present moment of your life as you live it.”
- Ask yourself, “Where am I?” If you find that in the middle of your calculus class you’re drifting to thoughts of next fall, “practice calling your mind back to your body,” says Malachuk. It’s important to mentally be where you are physically. Everyone has moments of anxiety and with your future so undecided, it’s easy to get caught up with the frantic questions and concerns running through your head. In those cases, stop your head from spinning by reminding yourself where you are and what is important. Being attentive, focusing on class, and doing well is important and realizing your chaotic thoughts are just nerves can help bring you back to the present.
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Communicate
Make sure you are keeping your lines of communication open during the waiting game. Your friends are experiencing similar emotions and it’s important to be there for them as well. Ask them how they are dealing with their own stress and if they want to talk about it. They may appreciate that you are supportive and may offer their support in return. If you have one of those days of never-ending doubt, your guidance counselors are more than willing to lend their advice. And while it’s overwhelming for you to be planning this momentous transition in your life, keep in mind that it can be overwhelming for your parents, too! As a junior in college, I find that one of the healthiest and most supportive relationships I have is with my parents, and I sometimes feel guilty for the crazed outbursts I put them through during my senior year of high school. Remember that they want what’s best for you and they are probably struggling to find a balance between being overbearing and just being supportive. Talk to them. Explain if you are feeling stressed out, confused, or under too much pressure. Trust me… a tumultuous relationship with your parents is never beneficial in the long run.
A Collegiette’s Story
Sarah Tornquist, a sophomore at the University of Vermont, says, “what helped me the most was exhausting the topic of college around my friends and family. I’d talk about it so much, every little detail, that I could get it out of my system and not get distracted by the prospect of college and focus on finishing high school.” Sarah found that communicating with friends and family was an outlet that gave her the ability to be engaged in her last semester.
What Can You Do?
- Talk to your parents. If you are feeling smothered by your parents, approach them in an understanding, levelheaded manner. Let them know how you are feeling, without getting defensive. Acknowledge that this transition is hard for both of you. Try saying, “I understand you are having a hard time with this transition and want to be involved with every step of the way, but this is a hard transition for me as well and I need a little space.”
- Ask your friends questions. If you see a friend looking stressed out, ask her what’s up. Listen to her issues and in return, she will most likely listen to your own waiting game concerns. Talking about a situation can sometimes make it easier to sort through.
- Talk to your guidance counselor. It’s what they are here for! Having concerns about your future is completely normal, and although some days you find you are able to be present, everyone has a bad day. Make a quick stop by your guidance counselor’s office. It’s always nice to reassurance from a trusted adult!
So, pre-collegiettes, the stress of the waiting game can be managed. Keep in mind that this stress is not permanent and be confident in the fact that you’ve been successful in high school up until this point—you will have options and you will find a perfect fit. Continue to be the stellar student that has gotten you this far! In the meantime, get involved and stay active in your school, live in the moment, and open all lines of communication! Hang in there and in an ode to Dr. Seuss, “there is fun to be done!”
Sources:
Taylor White, Sophomore, Boston University
Sarah Tornquist, Sophomore, University of Vermont
Meredith O’Neill, Senior, Boston University
Colin Riley, Executive Director of Media Relations, Boston University
Katie Malachuk, author of You’re Accepted: Lose the Stress. Discover Yourself. Get Into the College That’s Right For You