[Source: Teen Life]
Stress from college applications come from various factors: the obvious would be acceptance or rejection, procrastination, essays, and finding the colleges one wants to apply to. While all of these reasons are apparent, with strong planning and efficient work, college application can be a breeze.
The first and most important thing to do is embrace the fear of possible rejection. Students are terrified by the thought of getting rejected by their college of choice, but the outcomes are unknown. This fear affects student’s essay writings with procrastination and mental walls, breaking their work cycles, and cutting them loose from their desires. Rather, trying your best to shape your application and being hopeful for one’s outcomes gives a more positive mindset and motive to work harder.
Second, time efficiency. For students applying to a college or university for early decision or early action tend to start their applications during the summer. However, from countless personal encounters, I have noticed that students will work efficiently for about a week and then grow into a lazy state. They believe that they have enough time on their hands to slack off and play with friends. Two weeks becomes four, and one month becomes two, and before they know it, they are closing in on their respective college’s deadline. The increased stress makes it harder for them to work efficiently because they feel regret for all the time that they had wasted. In these cases, a planner (although very basic) is a very efficient way that is helping me in my journey.
[Source: irenecelcer.com]
In an interview with JSR, Luna Lee, a senior at West Ranch High School said, “College applications SUCK. The workload is too much, especially if you’re applying to colleges for early decision, or private schools in general. The overall process takes up too much time, but I guess in the end it’s worth it. I think it will really show colleges a three dimensional point of view of a student from the two dimensional writings on a piece of paper.”
For all the twelfth graders being diagnosed with early symptoms of senioritis, good luck!