<p>Hi guys.
I'm currently a high school senior who has applied early decision to a school. However, I have only applied to one other school so far (and have been accepted) and just cannot bring myself to do anymore applications. I WOULD have done more this weekend, but this weekend has been really tough and I really don't know what to do with myself anymore.</p>
<p>One of my parents was diagnosed with a seizure disorder someone recently and has been medicated for the past 8 months. However, (s)he had another seizure last night (possibly because (s)he took his/her meds a little later than normal and because (s)he's been really stressed). Since last night, I haven't been able to concentrate on anything, even homework. TBH, my life has always been sort of... abnormal and things were finally starting to get back to normal before this happened.</p>
<p>I've kind of given up. For the record, I've always been an excellent student and been very successful overall. I've always been pretty good at dealing with problems (and there have been some other serious problems in my life), but lately everything has just been piling on all at the same time and I don't know what to do.</p>
<p>I can't even bring myself to talk to either of my parents anymore, which is making the non-seizure parent pretty mad. I don't know why, I just can't. I suppose I'm sort of fed up with EVERYTHING and I just really want to get out of the house ASAP.</p>
<p>If not accepted to my ED school, should I just go to the other school? Maybe take some stress off of me? I know I would regret it if I didn't apply to other colleges thoughl</p>
<p>Do one application today. Just one. Just today. One day at a time; one step at a time. Then get out of the house and do something fun. See a movie that will make you laugh, or do something physical that will relieve stress. You don’t have to solve all your problems today, but you can do one application.
And tomorrow maybe you could make an appointment with your school counselor. You are dealing with a lot of stress. That’s my two cents.
Take care and best of luck.</p>
<p>If you are willing and financially able to attend the school where you applied and were accepted, then you could be done although you seem to not be comfortable with that decision. You have an ED application already submitted. If you are accepted to the ED school then you are more than set…you have two acceptances and one at your number one choice college. If the ED is not an acceptance then you will need to do some more apps fairly quickly unless you decide you could attend the school where you’ve been accepted. Perhaps get your mind wrapped around what those schools might be if you need to do more apps, then get your mind around a day when you can actually sit down and get those apps done. One step at a time.</p>
<p>Well, honestly…if you don’t finish your applications it won’t be the end of the world, since you said you’ve already been accepted to one school. Even if you dislike that school you can always transfer. If you have any problems later on at the school or in your life, and you come back to this moment and start blaming them on this point of weakness…you’d only be deflecting.</p>
<p>THAT SAID…if you don’t fill out your apps it will give you something to regret. Having a moment in your life to look back on and regret is never a comfortable thing. Think about whether or not putting off your applications will really save you stress…or will it increase it? Will you feel bad about yourself for not doing them? Will that make you feel worse?</p>
<p>I personally don’t consider the writing of the application itself very stressful. Mostly, they will be judging you on your grades/scores/past accomplishments. Just make sure you write logically and with a semblance of grammar and that is really all you have to do/can do at this point. </p>
<p>Good luck. Talking with someone about the stress may help, like a guidance counselor or therapist. And maybe you can even schedule an hour to sit in your GC’s office or a teacher’s office as an “appointment to write an application.” It often helps for me to have a space/appointment set aside for something, and I’m bad at self-setting appointments when I’m stressed. So bringing in an extra person might help you plow through. Also, you won’t waste too much time…work on your apps only during the appointment hour(s) and focus on your other schoolwork and things at other times.</p>
<p>Hi soconfused11, I can totally understand your feelings. Almost every senior is ready to get out of their house ASAP, even if they don’t have huge family stresses like you do. Inspiredbymusic is right, you don’t have to do it all right this minute. </p>
<p>My kid was totally stressed out about this time last year because of all his AP classes and EC commitments. All the University of California applications were due the end of November, so he’d already expended a huge amount of energy on them, but had all the others he wanted to get done by January 1st. He was a raw nerve, all jangled and worn out. </p>
<p>It’s rough to go to school, do your homework, have family traumas and do applications. My son decided that he couldn’t do it all at once. He actually set all the remaining applications aside until the Christmas break. He spent the first weekend having fun, which relaxed him a lot, then the first thing Monday morning of Christmas break he sat down and tackled the remainder of his applications. He already had the big essay finished, as you must have also, so he had a bunch of smaller one’s to do. Having no school, or homework distractions was a huge advantage. </p>
<p>Take a little time, don’t early decisions come back soon? You will still have time to finish regular decision applications if your first choice school doesn’t come through. You just need a little time to recoup. You have a lot on your plate, but you sound very capable. Good luck!</p>
<p>How about this: give yourself this week to regroup, try to find your feet, and rest. Tell yourself that you will finish ONE application next weekend. Then go from there.</p>
<p>P.S. Try to show some kindness to your parents. They are freaking out, too.</p>
<p>I am sorry about your situation at home, and hope there is a counselor at school or another trusted adult in whom you can confide. You should not have to worry through all this on your own.
If it makes you feel better, my son has also applied ED, has applied to one with rolling admissions and that’s it!! He has heard from neither yet so does not even have the comfort of an acceptance. His plan - so he tells me - is that he will do the other 8 apps over winter break if his ED does not come through.
I don’t think you two guys are alone in being overwhelmed/stressed/done - that said, I wouldn’t take all your opportunities away because you feel like this right now. Give yourself some time; your ED result will be in next week(yes?) and then use winter break wisely to get more apps done if you so need. Take good care of yourself!</p>
<p>soconfused-- Just echoing what everyone else has said… breathe, get support, take time to enjoy your life a little, then regroup and do a few more apps so that you have no regrets come spring. It is a tough time of year for everyone, much more if there is a family crisis. Keep us posted and take care of yourself. Oh, and also, try to be civil to your parents… I’m sure they are stressed too.</p>
<p>Good for you… getting prepared if your ED school rejects you. That’s very hard, because you for sure liked that school, but you are looking ahead. It’s nice to have back up, but it doesn’t sound like your best option. Sure sounds like you know what to do. Listen to your own advice.
<p>Make sure that your have had your transcripts and recommendations sent to the other colleges that you wanted to apply to.</p>
<p>Then wait for the ED decision. If you don’t get in, there should be time to submit the actual applications to the other schools – or at least one or two of them.</p>
<p>Please apply to other colleges if you aren’t accepted at the ED school. You don’t have to work on the applications till you hear from the ED college. You can do a few applications during winter break. All you need to do now is make sure teachers and transcripts are ready to be sent off. You can worry about the applications later. There really is plenty of time.</p>
<p>And good luck to you. I wish both you and your parents the best.</p>
<p>I agree with this. Your high school probably requires a long time to send in transcripts and recommendations. It’s pretty low effort on your part now to make sure you turn in the forms to your guidance office to get all of those sent. The actual applications can be done later, after you find out whether or not you are accepted at your ED school. course it is better to get some of the application work done beforehand, but not strictly required.</p>
<p>I’d say look at the deadlines of the schools that appeal to you. Is there anyway you can give yourself a few days off? You could drag yourself to the school registrar and fling down money to make sure the transcripts get sent (this step trips up many – if the ap deadline is Jan 1 and the school office is closed Dec 15 to Jan 2, then you have to take care of business by Dec 14 – or even Dec 10 if the school staff is fussy. That means this week).</p>
<p>So, if the transcripts are fired off, then you could take a week off and, next Tuesday, you could bribe yourself with a treat – get one app done and . . . play hooky from school for a day . . . or have pizza . . . or go go-carting. Whatever puts a smile on your face. </p>
<p>Here’s my story: I fell down a cliff just three days after being married. I broke my back and my legs were paralyzed. Got airlifted. Then surgery. Then rehab – only the rehab doctors opinions differed. One said “you are now paralyzed and in a wheel chair. This is your new life. Get used to it.” The other one said “I think you could get some motion back but you’d have to work for it.”</p>
<p>So, I could work or I could adapt to life in a chair. </p>
<p>Believe me, I know where you are. The work seemed . . . impossible. I about threw up every time I hauled myself up on the parallel bars. I had to sweat for every micro millimeter of motion – just like you are sweating to produce a word on the page. </p>
<p>That was almost thirty years ago. I am no picture of grace (I ambulate with leg braces and canes or crutches) – but I’ve seen the Taj Mahal (twice!) and lived on a tropical island. I am still married to a great person. I garden and take a chubby golden retriever out for (very slow) strolls around the neighborhood. Got some great kids and feel I am blessed. </p>
<p>So, yeah. It’s worth it to push yourself. Maybe you don’t want to kill yourself and apply to twenty schools – but one or two? Yeah. Get 'er done. The second hundred hours sweating over forms isn’t as hard as the first hundred . . . go for it.</p>