Currently it’s 10:14 p.m. as I sit at my computer, making a mental to-do list of what must be accomplished tomorrow. Last week upon being asked to write the weekly Handley High Blog from a student’s prospective, I was elated and my head swam with ideas. Now, as luck would allow, my fingertips poised at the keyboard don’t seem to be flying as I hoped. This is prompting much pondering over such topics as: “I’d better get started on note-taking for the English article about John Gardner,” to “Wow. I need to clean my room,” and even to “Hmm, I could really go for some Rocky Road ice cream.” This doesn’t worry me; my English teachers have always stressed the introduction to any writing is the most difficult, and I am learning this first hand. How about I begin with a personal introduction—the basics... a “Getting to Know You” with Elise D., of sorts.
For starters, I’m a senior at John Handley High, which is undoubtedly the the finest school in all the land. Let’s just say I bleed maroon and white. A few of my favorite activities include playing for the girls’ varsity soccer team, participating in Student Government and being a member of the Handlian Yearbook Staff. It’s so crazy to finally be a senior—I still feel as though I’m a freshman sometimes. When people say “enjoy your time in high school…it goes by before you know it,” they are completely right. One of the coveted senior perks is having the chance to eat lunch on the front steps—an opportunity I gladly seize. Each day the 7 of my friends and I who dine outside mill over the fact that in a few shorts months we will be proceeding down those very steps during our graduation ceremony, spending our final summer together, then parting ways to attend colleges that have yet to accept us. One of the most popular topics of conversation is the lovely process of college admissions. We compare deadlines for applications, our most recent college visits and our essay topics…or lack thereof. Yes, we are slightly nerdy but that’s OK. We’re forward-thinkers and are delightfully excited, though equally nervous, about the prospect of stepping out into the world on our own separate paths. It will be two short months at the earliest that some of us will begin wearing a sweatshirt with the name of our future school proudly displayed. Some of us will happily eat our chicken salad sandwiches outside on the steps, content with the fact we’re “in,” while the rest of us wait until April 1st, the magic day, to discover the status of our future.
This past weekend I took a major step in my college process by visiting Elon University in North Carolina. What drew me to the school was their excellent communications program with an emphasis on journalism, as well their student population of 5,000. The opportunities for internships and studying abroad are boundless, and when I stepped on campus I felt that warm and fuzzy feeling they say you get when you know it’s “the one.” To sum it up, the school fits everything on my checklist of college criteria, and the brick buildings covered with ivy don’t hurt at all. The current dilemma I’m facing is should I go to a private school which is more than double of what I’d pay at some state schools? Hmm. Decisions, decisions. I am not alone in this wave of college pressure. My friends range from those who turned in all their applications months ago, to one who is applying to (what I think to be a ridiculous number of) 11 schools. Intended majors are everything from athletic training to marketing, sociology to engineering. It’s a long road ahead, but I feel before I can blink my eyes it’ll be time to load up the mini-van and head to _________ University.
I’m thinking the current time of 11:16 p.m. is making me over-analyze all things college related. Judging from the start of this blog to the current time, I have spent a good amount aimlessly on the internet. What’s a girl to do? Considering the length of this introductory post, I will put off the highly anticipated inside view on the school’s renovations until next week—so stay posted! This whole “getting to know you” thing has been highly less awkward than I’d anticipated. I’m thinking it’s time to reward myself with a little late-night reading...and I don’t mean Beowulf, our current epic poem in AP English 12.
Until next time!
|
Save
Email
Print
del.icio.us 
Google
Yahoo 
digg