Stress and seniors. For us, at this time of year, the two words are synonymous. Senior teachers are marching forward with their curriculum and homework assignments, seemingly without regard for the time, effort and mental space required to focus on college applications, especially essays. Seniors, in their typical teenage wisdom, are continuing to attend EVERY extra-curricular activity event, practice and meeting for EVERY club, sport and organization to which they’ve committed themselves (sometimes for multiple years), and trying to fit college applications around their already busy schedules. Parents and families possibly with their own concerns and questions about their senior’s chances for college admissions, plus potential naiveté (just lacking experience with the current college application process, often remarking, “This isn’t like when I applied to college”) of the effort required to complete college applications, simultaneously can become the source of additional stress and the absorber of their seniors’ stress. Boy, fun times for everyone.
Two tips to relieve stress–and feel free to wash, rinse and repeat as needed:
- Be rigorously honest to whomever will listen about the stress of completing college applications–all the fears about getting in or not, the comparing of who already got in where and why did they get in and will I get in, too? or “No way, I’m getting into the same school, they’re better than me” thinking; the “I-hate-this-college-essay” thinking, the “can-I-be-done-with-it-NOW?!?” ranting–we’ve heard it all before and let us assure you its totally normal thinking. The more honest one can be, the less energy we spend trying to push those thoughts away, and the more energy we have to focus on applications and essay writing.
- Writing the college essay is best served by following the age-old, time-tested writing process. Write the essay ONE DRAFT AT A TIME. Trying to write out your thoughts and ideas, then edit them and find the perfect wording, all before typing ANYTHING is a recipe for more stress. If you follow the writing process–brainstorm, outline, draft and edit, then re-edit and edit again–then you’ll reduce the pressure at each drafting–AND, be able to write in-between the seemingly endless AP and other Senior class homework, assigned, yet still not finished.
It’s expected–therefore not making you weird (teenagers greatest fear)– to be stressed about college applications. I see the challenge of applying, as the first test from the college to know if an applicant is worthy of admissions; something like, “If you can’t endure the effort to apply, why would you be a worthy candidate to contribute to our college?” The process is one of those maturing experiences in someone’s life. Each applicant has the opportunity to learn something more about themselves by writing the autobiographical college essays, and grow a thicker skin and greater stamina from weathering the stress of completing applications in the first place. But, like every opportunity for growth, without pain there can be no gain.
For a objective voice, based on 35 years of collective experience, you’re welcome to contact us at (916) 769-6092 or info@creativemarbles.com. We can edit college essays and assist with applications, no matter how close the deadline.
Photo Credit: Art Baird, Creative Marbles Consultancy 2012
