What do you do when you don’t know what to do? What I’m referring to is college—the next stage of adulthood after one graduates from high school. Thousands of teenagers face this difficult decision every year, invoking unnecessary stress and confusion in the process. I am currently in the process of this hectic period of decision-making. It’s my senior year of high school and I am faced with not only my high school courses and numerous extracurricular activities, but all the things that come along with college. Particularly, I am focusing on college visits, deadlines, and scholarships. These three things are my primary focus as I’m considering which college to attend once I graduate. Follow these three things, and you just might get through your senior year with a little energy left.
College visits seemed to intimidate me at first. While some students begin their visits early on in high school, I procrastinated and waited until my senior year. Don’t do that! Trust me, it just added a little more stress that I didn't need. I was already having a difficult time deciding on a major, and planning college visits around my chaotic schedule didn't help. Of course you can visit a few colleges during your senior year, but I recommend you visit some prior to the last year. Afterall, you don’t want to find yourself desperately choosing a college at the last minute because you weren't prepared, do you? Visit colleges and visit them now!
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Don’t miss them! Even if you have to purchase a huge calendar to hang on your wall dedicated completely for deadline, do it. As you enter your senior year, you will quickly learn how important deadlines are in the process of applying to colleges. First, each of the colleges you’re considering has a different application deadline. Obviously, if you miss this deadline, you’re in trouble! In addition, colleges offer certain grants and scholarships which can be a great benefit to you if you’re eligible to receive them. However, these aids have deadlines. Do your research and find the deadlines and record them in a calendar. I promise you won’t regret it. What a great feeling it is when you know you've completed things before the deadline!
My final advice to those of you who are entering the college decision-making process is to apply for scholarships. Some of you will probably ignore this piece of advice because you feel that all the effort isn't worth the small chance that you actually earn a scholarship. However, if you’re like me and could use any free money you can get, it is worth it! Once again though, be aware of the deadlines for certain scholarships you’re interested in. Believe it or not, students have gotten through years of college free because they applied for so many different scholarships. While the scholarships with less money seem like a waste of time, they can add up quickly and cover supplies, like books for the semester. Like I said before, any bit helps!
If you’re stressing out over the idea of beginning the process of college, I know how you feel. It is a lot of work, but once you've accomplished each of the steps, you will be so relieved. Although that’s easier said than done, isn't it? However, as long as you stay on top of things, and focus on things like visits, deadlines, and scholarships, your stress level will drop dramatically. Ultimately, I hope these three methods will allow you to have an amazing stress-free senior year and an exciting freshmen year of college. Goodluck!