Things I've Noticed Since I Started Preparing for College

1. In Some Ways, I'm Distancing Myself and in Others, I'm Being Distanced.  The second part of this sentence isn't as true as it used to be.  I'm thinking mostly of my church now.  A year or two ago, there really wasn't anything for the older half of senior high except for a trip, which was a lot of fun, but there wasn't anything else to do besides that.  Now, the youth director is making more of an effort to include everyone, which is really nice.

As for the first part of the sentence, I feel like this is still true because a lot of changes are being made and most of the people in my graduating class aren't going to be affected by these changes, so we're not really interested in taking a part in these decisions because they don't effect us.  This sounds terrible and absolutely selfish, but honestly, I've noticed that this happens in people of all ages, not just people getting ready for college.


2. I've Been Hanging Out With Friends More.  This isn't a bad thing!  I've just noticed that I've been making more of an effort to hang out with my friends because I won't get to see them until I come home for holidays or even for just a weekend.  And even then, they might be busy.  In years past, I would put off hanging out thinking that I had "more important things to do," (which was probably homework), but now I've felt like I'm on a race against the clock-- I only have so much time left here, and it's a little distressing.  This is one of the bigger things I've regretted in my high school career-- not hanging out with my younger friends and/or friends that go to different schools than mine.


3. Trying New Things.  I've tried theater, mostly (I'm planning on auditioning for another play in December-- it's a musical called 'Into the Woods'-- and I'm also planning on writing a one-act play).  I'm preparing to leave the country in five/six months time. I'm making new friends and realizing old friends that I didn't think I had.  It's an amazing experience.


4. I'm Much Busier.  This is probably a bit of a given.  I'm filling out college applications, applying for scholarships, keeping up with the classes that I have now, trying to manage my own life and make things happen for me.  Just to name a few things.


5. I'm Testier Than Usual.  Part of it is due to general stress.  There's a lot to do!  The other part comes from Biology class.  This is the first year where on more than one occasion, I've left the building for the day fighting back tears of rage.


6. I'm Closer to my Mom.  It's not that I have a bad relationship with my mom, it's because she is the one that has taken me on road trips to visit the colleges that I've been interested in.  As a result, I've had ample opportunity to talk with her about my future plans, what I want, and then just to talk in general.  It's been really nice and I really appreciate it.  On top of that, she's the one that has been checking my essays for scholarships, filling out things for my France trip that I'm not allowed to do myself, and checking over my college applications to make sure everything is in order and so I know what I'm supposed to ask for when I go to the counselor's office.

Note: These points that I've made don't necessarily apply to every person who is preparing for college.

Thanks for reading!

--Jude