<p>Hi guys, I have a problem. I'm always researching college and looking up videos about college and making lists of colleges and stuff. The problem is that I'm only in 9th grade and applying for college is still a couple years away. But I still keep looking up move in day threads and move in day videos and going on the websites of certain colleges and things like that. I think this is going to ruin college for me because it won't be as good as I am dreaming it to be. So how can I stop thinking about this and start enjoying my high school experience more?</p>
<p>I know the feelings. I have them sometimes too and I’m a sophomore in HS. It’s never a bad idea to think about college and your future, but if you think it’s getting in the way of your life and is getting a bit excessive, it’s always good to take a break. What helps me the most is trying to distract myself and thoughts with something different, maybe watch a movie, go out, listen to music, read a book, play a sport, do something with your hobbies, or just simply sleep. I don’t know if I’m even allowed to say this, but probably the best first thing to do is get off this forum and go do something else. lol. But as I said, it’s never a bad idea to think about your future, especially in something as big and important as college.</p>
<p>Thanks @thealvintran. Good advice.</p>
<p>u dont</p>
<p>I always think about the future and make plans for things really far in advance, and it doesn’t really detract from my later experiences of those things as long as I remember in the back of my mind that nothing will actually happen the way I think it will. Planning is just fun in itself…things in theory are so different from things in practice that I usually don’t bother to compare them. The person who will go to college four years from now is different from the person you are now. I don’t know that I’ve gained much wisdom or maturity since freshman year, but I still feel like it’s been a long time and a lot of things in my life have changed.</p>
<p>As far as living in the present, I’ve never had any idea of how to do that. The closest I ever get is when I’m really immersed in something I already know how to do, and I can just sort of zone out without thinking about what’s going to happen five minutes from now. But I’ve lived my whole life in this future-oriented state of mind, as if this moment isn’t worth it unless there’s going to be another one, like right now I’m just killing time waiting for my real life to start, and I wish I didn’t do that so much. </p>
<p>High school is your real life. “…the best thing to do is to get off this forum and do something else.” @thealvintran…you are wise beyond your years. </p>
<p>I also like planning @halcyonheather. That’s one of the reasons I kinda wanna be a teacher–so I can make lesson plans and plan out what the students are going to learn during the semester and things like that. So I guess I can’t really stop myself from doing that. But you say it’s not that bad, hmmm.
@Yakisoba Wow, so helpful.</p>
<p>Get off CollegeConfidential</p>
<p>Haha I know @whenhen. I’m just addicted. I was just reading posts in college life before I got notified of a reply to this thread and I came over to check it out! I guess I really should do my homework. If I don’t get good grades, I’m never gonna get into those dream colleges, right?</p>
<p>
I’m not sure whether you were responding to me with this or not, but I didn’t mean to say I believe it isn’t. It’s just that I live primarily in the future, and I don’t enjoy anything for its own sake independent of the idea that I have something really wonderful to look forward to. I mean, I enjoy a lot of the things I do right now, but most of my enjoyment of them is derived from the idea that I’ll get to experience a lot more of them in the future, so I’ll probably be horribly depressed when I get old. :-S</p>
<p>I started using this website because I wanted to know how to get myself into college, but now that I’m done with that I primarily come here to give dumb advice to other people because I think college admissions/academics are interesting. I mean, there are lots of things I do to immerse myself in the future, but in my case this website isn’t really one of them, at least not the way it might be for some people. </p>
<p>Either
A) Make HS fun idk how but it’ll help
or
B) don’t make it fun and you’ll just end up thinking about college</p>
<p>@SwaggyC A is very hard for me to do. I guess there’s just no hope… :-S </p>
<p>Block CC and get a hobby, join a club, play a sport, something!</p>
<p>@bodangles Does homework count?</p>
<p>I mean, I guess, but not really… Get something you actually ENJOY doing. It will take up that chunk of empty time you use to obsess. And you can console yourself with the fact that colleges like to see passion and dedication to your extracurricular activities…</p>
<p>@bodangles Hmm I do like to garden. I even bought grow lights online and I’m growing vegetables on my desk in my bedroom! So I guess that’s pretty fun. I just wish I had more money to spend on that hobby. I only get money on Christmas and my birthday and since those are close together I have no money for most of the year. Oh well, that has nothing to do with the subject of this thread.</p>
<p>@dsi411
party</p>
<p>@SwaggyC I’d rather not…</p>
<p>@dsi411
why not</p>
<p>@SwaggyC I’m not the most social person. I try to avoid social events such as parties. Maybe that’s why my life is so un-fun. Oh well.</p>