Junior year is rough. There’s just no sugar-coating it. So, in this blog post, we have a few tips, as well as some thoughts to help you get through the morass.
It gets better
You don’t have to go to an Ivy League school
Quality (of extra-curriculars, friends, parties) over quantity
You don’t need the title to do the work
And the work that you do is more important than the title (whatever it is you need to be able to talk about it)
Do things before you think you should
Identify the right teachers for your recommendations very early on
Don’t fall in love with any one school
Be happy for your friends when they have successes
Don’t get arrested (unless you’re at a protest)
Don’t get suspended
Just, don’t be stupid
Go to the school dance
Read more books
Be nice to your parents. And your siblings.
Consider that someone is photographing everything you’re doing and posting it on social media
Study really hard
Skip the community service trip to help underprivileged kids in another country
Get a job
Cultivate a niche—your extra-curriculars should fit into that niche
Become the president of whatever activities you’re involved with
Regulate your social media presence (schools will look, and so will your future employers)
Keep up with the news
Start your own company
Keep a journal
Learn how to scramble an egg
Learn how to do laundry
Be nice to other kids. You don’t know what they’re going through.
Get published
You’re probably not going to get into an Ivy
Taking a college summer course does not help you get into that school
Be mindful of putting things on your resume that make you look privileged
Community service is not (usually) required to get into college
Your essays shouldn’t be about a life-altering or tragic event
Don’t text and drive
Don’t compare yourself to others
Be creative in your application essays
Break form in your application essays
Do research for a professor one summer
If you’re not going to play sports in college, don’t invest all your time in them in high school
Get enough sleep. (No, we’re not joking)
Exercise!
Cut yourself some slack
Ask for help when you need it. You’re never alone.
Try to spend more time in nature and interacting with humans than your phone
Don’t compare yourself to others (it’s so important, we’re saying it twice)
Spend your summers wisely
Study for your standardized tests
Study some more
You are more than a test score