By Eros ViDemantay
Even though you have three years to prepare for it, the months of October through December in the senior year of high school can still feel exhausting. Never mind the word feel, college application season can be downright terrible, a catalyst for stress and depression. I am one such senior, applying to film schools all around the U.S. I have to submit a portfolio on top of my general applications, which causes more headaches and planning. At SOAR, there tends to be an urgent need to procrastinate on just about everything. I am guilty of this - though it’s not something I’m necessarily seeking to change, I am a SOAR student, after all.
From Common App to CSU Apply to other private applications, senior year can feel like an insurmountable lot. On top of that, you have to balance college applications and family and friend issues/commitments. A study from MIT suggests that adulthood starts at the ages of 19-21. I’d like to argue that adulthood starts in your senior year. Especially at SOAR, where independence is a must for navigating both a college and high school life, adulthood starts much earlier than most realize. Choosing which university to apply to, as well as choosing your major, when sometimes you don’t even know what field you want to study, can cause stress.
This certainly applies to me. Since all of my applications are due at the end of November, I have been working triple to finish on time. Plus, I am applying to film school, which often requires me to submit extra portfolio work. It’s a stressful time where I tend to snap at others and get very little sleep.
To the seniors at SOAR High School: don’t give up! The month is almost over, and so are applications. Just getting the energy to fill out the tedious transcripts or extracurriculars list is an accomplishment to be celebrated. Don’t think of the application as a whole, but rather, work on small segments at a time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. I believe in you, and so do countless others.