You do a ton of work your senior year of high school – prepping for the SAT or ACT, gathering all of your application materials, and writing the perfect college admissions essay – you feel accomplished. After all of this is said and done, all of the hard work is done…right? NOT IF YOU’RE GOING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. Undergraduate admissions were only Dante’s first circle of hell. Graduate school admissions are much more tedious and stressful because if you don’t get in, these past four years have been absolutely pointless.
Think about letters of recommendations, the GRE (which is just as evil as the SAT except you cry more), preparing your applications, writing your statement of intent, keeping your GPA up to par, interviews (so you actually have to TALK to these scary people in person). JUST FREAKING ACCEPT ME. It’s a nightmare that keeps most undergraduate seniors up at night, especially when there’s nothing left to do but wait for your fate. All you can do is think about what all could’ve gone wrong. If I don’t get in, should I apply to the Peace Corps?! (Asking for a friend).
Here are a few ways to cope with the process:
Focus on a hobby
Spend time reading or playing your favorite sport instead of pulling your hair out for fun. While immersing yourself in an activity you love, you might actually forget about your worries. It’s important to let your mind wander from the “what if’s?” during this waiting game.
All of this stress isn’t good for you! At least make it to grad school with a pulse.
Spend your senior year with friends
It’s your last year in undergrad, and you KNOW grad school isn’t going to be nearly as fun as undergrad has been. Take this time to really hone in on your relationships. This time next year, none of you will be in the same place. Some might have big kid jobs, while others might be in the same graduate school hell boat as you.
Make sure you’re able to look back at your last year of undergrad with a smile, not with deep disappointment in yourself for not making the most of your time.
Try new things
One of the best ways to distract yourself from overthinking is to dive into a new hobby. Since the hobby would be new to you, you’d have plenty to learn and wouldn’t even have the time to think about what your application is doing right this minute. It might also make you a little more well-rounded, depending on the hobby.
Build a boat, research UFO’s, become a squirrel expert. DO SOMETHING BESIDES CRY.
Take breaks
It’s important to breathe and remember that you’ve done your very best. Just remember how fortunate you are to even have this opportunity. Focus on how well you’ve done to even get to this place. The fact that you’ve even been given the opporunity to graduate undergrad is a blessing in itself.
If you don’t stop to breathe, you WILL end up having a mental breakdown and that’s just scary.
Remember: the application gets in, not you. Even if you don’t get into your dream school, that doesn’t mean you’re a flawed person. You’ve worked SO hard in school up to this point and it’s okay to rest on your laurels. You got your essay in on time, along with your other paperwork, and you paid the (incredibly expensive) application fee. So just take this time to relax now that the process is over. There’s no looking back at what could’ve been said or done, just what you can do in the future. Rest assure, we all end up where we’re meant to be.
Image sources:
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/slideshows/21-celebrity-sad-faces-we-n…
http://metro.co.uk/2016/07/23/theres-another-weird-benefit-of-having-a-g…
http://giphy.com/gifs/vodka-subtitles-betty-white-zrgqFogFDV160
http://giphy.com/gifs/cravetvcanada-cravetv-30rock-3o7WTDVMidWRDzP9ss
http://giphy.com/gifs/keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-l396GLHSH8ma9KW2Y
http://giphy.com/gifs/pretty-little-liars-pll-pllgif-1qTY0QdFd5fsQ