It is senior year and you are so ready for college. You have finally made it to the top of your high school pyramid, way above those lost, little freshman. All you need to do now is throw that cap in the air and shout “See ya!” to those annoying teachers. But before you can run through the halls of your school shouting rude remarks at teachers you’ll hopefully never see again, or zip up that suitcase and kiss your parents goodbye, you must decide what college you want to attend next year. When thinking about college what pops into your mind? The parties? The idea of no parents? The huge amounts of work? The thought of achieving an education and expanding your mind? Or the fact that college is necessary in order to have a career in the future and make a living? Even if none of these things come to mind, all of them are involved when it comes to college. While considering these elements of college you can contemplate what schools you would like to apply to during the torturous application process. So, enjoy your last year of high school and get ready for the exciting, momentous, and unfortunately, sometimes boring life of college.
The first step in experiencing college begins while you are still in high school. This is known as the dreaded application process. This is where you decide what schools you would be happy to call yourself a member of next year. While researching schools, think of questions like “Where do I want to live?”, “Do I want a small or big school?”, “Which schools would accept my grades?”, “Which schools would benefit me most?”, etc. Once you have found your top favorite schools it is time to fill out that long and boring application, write your college essay, send out those applications, and hope for the best. Throughout the next few months you’ll receive various letters ranging from accepted letters, to rejected letters. Take all the schools you were accepted to and look at them individually, while asking yourself some questions. Decide whether or not you would fit well, if the tuition is too much, and take a look around the campus to see if you like the atmosphere. Usually by May, you should have decided which school you are going to and BAM, the last months of high school fly by, the summer begins and ends, and you are in college. Get ready for the papers, the no sleep, the parties, the friends. In other words, get ready to be a real college student.
Welcome to college, official college student. Are you prepared for the endless amounts of papers? The constant need to procrastinate? The pressure to get good grades? The stress? What about the fact that you now call them professors instead of teachers? Are you ready for that? Now relax, you will get through all of these difficult milestones in your college career, you might feel a little light headed and have no clue what day it is, but you will get through college. Start by taking deep calm breathes through your nose and tell yourself you are here for a specific purpose. You didn’t just make your parents pay all this money and spend the energy moving your entire room into a tiny dorm, to come to a school, panic, and leave. No, you came here to get an education. Now instead of getting mad at the idea that you just went through 12 years of education, think about how much college will benefit you in the future. The whole point in college is so you can gain enough knowledge to have a career when you are older and make a living. This will eventually happen, someday.
So before then, you better start studying. First, decide what you would like to major and minor in. What are some subjects you’re interested in? What are you good at? Do you enjoy working with people, or would you rather a career where you can mostly be by yourself? Walk toward the paths these answers take you on, choose your major, and get excited for whatever it is you would like to do in the future. You’re going to be drowned in assignments that consist of research papers, essays, labs, and reading, while studying for difficult tests in some subjects you might not be so fond of. The best way to avoid stressing out and crying is by managing your time. Try your best to avoid the poisonous monster that is procrastination and get your work done. Also attempt to get some sleep, or better yet go out with friends.
Finally, the fun aspect of college. The only part of college that is shown in movies, the place students go to in order to really expand their minds. This is the social experience. While college is known for having educational purposes, it has many social purposes as well. There are lots of different clubs you can join, varying from interests that come from your heritage, to volunteer organizations. Then there are sports teams you can join, along with Greek life. College is great for meeting new people because you now have the opportunity to get to know people from all over the world. Go out and make friends, connections, and best of all, memories. Gain an understanding of who you are, and have a blast. You worked hard in high school to get into college, you deserve to have crazy nights, attend parties, and create stories you’ll keep on telling years from now.
Now you know what college is all about. You start from the application process, to the educational aspects, to the social benefits. That’s what is so great about college. You have so many different opportunities, you’re young, and you can enjoy yourself. So have fun, official college student, the sky is the limit. Get ready for writing papers at two in the morning, laughing with friends about that crazy party last night, and the thrill of being on your own. You are now about to experience everything and anything that is college.