Overwhelmed in Freshman Year--way too many EC's

<p>So I'm a freshman in high school, and before this year started I really wanted to try new things. However, I am now overwhelmed with the activities and I'm not particularly good at all of them...so I feel like I'm wasting my time. My grades are mediocre so far, with the lowest grade being an A- in Chemistry and I feel like I would have done a lot better if I didn't participate in so many things.</p>

<p>For example: I was on the JV tennis team in the fall, and then now school musical (not even a huge role), a part of the school dance group every wednesday, an intern of the school's administration (I attend a private school so this is where we organize funding events and social events with alumni). </p>

<p>I regret doing tennis because I'm not athletic, though I wanted to experiment to see if I was. I don't enjoy being in the school musical because I don't have a big part. </p>

<p>So I guess my freshman year is pretty messy and the only thing that I would consider putting on my application when it comes to colleges is the intern thing..</p>

<p>I plan to be a lot more focused and organized in sophomore year, so would a mediocre show of ec's during freshman year be harmful? My grades, for example would have been a lot better without them..</p>

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<p>■■■■■. Just saying.</p>

<p>I’m not ■■■■■■■■, the highest grade in our school is an A+. it’s from an E to an A+, so yes A- is not that good considering that people here have gotten all A’s since freshman year.</p>

<p>If you didn’t feel much passion and commitment to the extracurricular, don’t put it on your college application. You don’t have to report all of them, only report things that you plan on sticking with all four years or that you made a huge commitment to (like a leading role in the musical). Admissions like to see one clean cut passion to the students, but being well rounded is also looked at positively.</p>

<p>It’s great you’re trying to find a niche. I’m a sophomore and it took me til the beginning of sophomore year to find my niche of politics. Experimenting is good. If they’re hindering you, though, drop them by level of importance. Don’t let your grades suffer this early, your schedule and activities should only get more strenuous in the coming years (with leadership positions and so forth).</p>

<p>thanks so much Coste. It doesn’t matter when you find your niche, right? I mean it doesn’t always have to be a perfect 4 year commitment.
for example, I really like dancing but I think I should drop it for amnesty international…which is a world affairs club at my school…because it would work better for my “medicine themed” application when college comes around.</p>

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No, I got C’s freshman year. umad?</p>

<p>An A- isn’t much different from an A. Stop being uptight.</p>

<p>I’m sorry if I’m offending people
but my classes are easy, and if I had studied more I would have done better. I’m also on scholarship too, so yes I AM uptight</p>

<p>Of course your classes are easy. It’s freshman year.</p>

<p>You lose your scholarship for having an A-?</p>

<p>no I don’t, but scholarship kids are supposed to be the best academically. and im seeing non-scholarship friends get all A’s</p>

<p>** Supposed to**.</p>

<p>Conformist. Hahaha jk.</p>

<p>I’m just frustrated. I had wanted my clear focus to show beginning freshman year on my app but unfortunately it only shows that I was confused and exploring</p>

<p>and ha ha ha what grade are you in mit hopeful?</p>

<p>I’m a junior.</p>

<p>what was your experience in freshman year like?</p>

<p>Well… seeing as it was fresh after my rejection from TJ(which ruined my summer), and I got done with football conditioning…</p>

<p>It was fun.</p>

<p>I decided to get back in pads for the first time in years, but I came to my HS for a purpose. That was robotics.
I did the sports and had no problems with grades, Straight A’s all year. Sports bored me, so I decided to stick with robotics.</p>

<p>Socially… I was an ******* and everyone hated me freshman year.</p>

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You’re not offending me. I’m just saying, you obviously care way too much about your academics to say that if you studied harder you would have an A instead of an A-. There’s barely any difference between the two. What really matters is the letter, the A. But you want to know what’s more important than grades? Extra-curriculars. Go have some fun and with those A-s or whatever you’ll look even better than academic drones who only focus on grades.</p>

<p>Freshman year’s supposed to be your fun year. Go talk to people, go to parties, do your thing.</p>

<p>same boat mit hopeful. I made it to the JV tennis team but I hated it because I wasn’t excelling and I didn’t like being a nobody.
Also, I don’t party…I’m just not a partier…unless if it’s my best friend. And nothing is more fun to me than being by myself watching TV or talking to my best friend on the phone.</p>

<p>I could’ve played JV if I wanted to.</p>

<p>I grew disillusioned with sports… though I knew I could’ve been really good.</p>

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You quit because you were bad or you quit cause you didn’t like it?</p>

<p>If it’s the former, then smh. The point of playing a sport is to get better at it. You got to have a winning mentality if you want to excel.</p>

<p>well i didn’t quit. i got an award for being the most enthusiastic player but my parents wouldn’t support me in taking tennis lessons so it was really hard for me to do well.</p>