If submitting college applications and writing college essays were simply–1. fill in the boxes with name, address, phone number; 2. write a short description of one’s experience in an essay format; 3. click the submit button–I wouldn’t have a job.
Here’s a few tips for working with the pressures of applying to college:
- Take breaks as needed–even if that means every 5 minutes. Whenever you find yourself wandering into the “over” section of “-whelmed”, back away from the keyboard. Run out to the backyard immediately and take a deep breath. Sometimes, that’s enough to break the “over” and bring you back to “-whelmed.” (In more extreme cases, a scream into the pillow or a chocolate bar or BOTH might be needed.)
- Complete the actual application in pieces, over time. See above about taking breaks? Since most applications are online, (and if they’re not, do you really want to apply to a college that isn’t part of the 21st century, especially if you’re trying to get a job eventually?) you can log in and out, as many times as you like, saving your work each time. TAKE A BREAK from writing essays and the homework (that isn’t slowing down, since Senior teachers have a peculiar sense of humor and continue to assign just as much work as they would ever), and fill in a few boxes or a page at a time. (ADDED BONUS: You can tell your mom and dad, who’re equally feeling pressure about college applications, that you’re actually working on the applications, so they’ll stop “reminding” you about getting finished every 30 seconds and they’ll get peace of mind,too.)
- Use the THESAURUS: Have you used the word “persistence” 100 times in the first two paragraphs, since you’re talking about challenges you’ve overcome in your essay? “The Thesaurus” rescues frazzled Seniors from the evil Writer’s Block with one turn of the page. (Thesaurus’ fellow “Superhero”, “The Dictionary” helps expand thinking, within a few definitions and saves essays from the nefarious “Delete Key.”)
Every applicant responds differently to the pressures of applying to college. Surely, though all of them, whether your friends are telling you or not, will feel stressed about applying to college. After 20 years of guiding students and parents through the college application cycle, both as teachers and as Creative Marbles, we can assure you that if you want to quit, you’re not alone. When you don’t, though, (quit that is), the acceptances you do receive will feel sweeter, knowing you gave your all right now. In the meantime, Halloween candy is half price…
Photo Credit: Art Baird, Creative Marbles Consultancy 2012
