<p>I hear over and over again, how students say they'll do "this and that" for recomendation. Competetions, tests, leagues, a million clubs, and all these other programs just for a college application. I understand college nis important, but after looking over my life, I've noticed that sometimes we tend to do TOO much. As in not having time for family, friends, finding yourself, and things you really like to do.
Does anyone agree?</p>
<p>I mean, life should be enjoyed, not shoved and packed with things that make you look better, or what seems "appealing to others". I'm only saying this to encourage others to do their activites for the right reasons. There was a time when I wanted to be in everything: Every sport, club, exceed every test, be in all AP classes, 1,000,000 hours of volunteer work, shadowing, oh yea, and aspire to find the cure for cancer! This is just an example of how we generalize, well society generalizes that we should do these things to be of worth. Comments?</p>
<p>Eh, a lot of colleges say the same thing, that you should find something you’re “passionate” about and focus mainly on that, but they still only seem to accept amazing people who take five gazillion AP classes and everything.
Honestly, if I didn’t feel the need to care about going to college and what people think of me, I wouldn’t have any motivation to do anything. I used to read all the time when I was little just for fun, but now it seems like everything I do has to have a purpose, and I no longer understand how anyone can truly enjoy academic subjects. Hours and hours of homework in a subject just completely sucks the life out of it. I just want people to think I’m smart so I get recognition.</p>
<p>I’ve read this forum ever since I was in 6th or 7th grade. I would search the What Are My Chances? board looking for “the key” to be accepted into an Ivy League institution. Now I’m a freshman and I only browse the High School Life board on occasion. I’m trying to enjoy my high school experience and doing things I’m interested in, but my gifted teacher keeps telling me how I have to join so many clubs and bank a lot of volunteer hours if I want to get anywhere in life. It’s irritating. I don’t care where I attend anymore, whether it be Ivy League college or my state flagship, as long as I like the school. Maybe I should get involved more since the only extracurricular I’m doing right now is Science Olympiad, but my school doesn’t offer many clubs. On top of that I live in the middle of Suburbia where it takes 20 minutes to the nearest city. I keep getting pressured to do stuff when there’s next to nothing to do. I’m sick of it. I’d rather hang out with my friends then spend all my free time trying to get into HYP. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll find more ECs eventually, plus it’s only freshman year, right?</p>
<p>I know lots of people on here are overachievers that want to go to ivy leagues, and that’s fine. But, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT COLLEGE YOU GO TO, IT’S THE AMOUNT OF HARD WORK YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER. </p>
<p>My current history teacher went to a crappy state school that doesn’t need any extracurricular activities and he has a job as a history teacher. He was a double major. Plus, he’s a great teacher too!</p>
<p>A math teacher at my school went to community college first, then a crappy state school for her bachelor’s and master’s and she’s teaching math at a high school!</p>
<p>But of course, not everyone believes in this. So, if you want to object to what I have to say, go for it.</p>
<p>^ Yeah, that’s what I thought.
I mean, most people are able to get some kind of job, even if they go to a crappy college. But going to a more prestigious school will give you more opportunities.</p>
<p>I strive to put my position to be able to support a large family without worry of hunger, health costs, and homelessness.
I want to be able to have my kids attend top schools or homeschool. I want to be able to afford some luxuries.
I strive to be able to help those around me in my community with other Children of God.</p>
<p>I also strive to be a better person, to achieve my goal of enternal salvation and to not get into pointless absurdities.</p>
<p>I feel i can do many of this with my faith and good grades and possibly a good degree.</p>
<p>What I have gone through has its pluses and minuses. Beginning with middle school, I’ve had mostly B’s in both math and English and two C’s, and didn’t max my honors classes. Roughly above average? But what was taught very well was competition.</p>
<p>I actually have lower standards than the students around me. At home I’m not pressured to get the perfect grades, just to get through the system and make a living. Yet at school, I’m held to the higher standard: The “What class rank are you?” “What college do you plan to go to?” “What clubs are you in?” type of thing. You get looked down upon if you don’t meet certain standards. Well, I’ve fallen into the trap of high school. I hate worrying about my grade in English or trying to juggle all of the extracurriculars and AP classes. And this is what my school is criticized for by other schools. My school simply has too much to do. Okay, the class of 2010 left its legacy in excelling in almost every competition, but the school doesn’t have those students anymore, people that compete don’t focus on a single thing, and thus lose to students from other schools that do. I keep trying to limit myself to focusing on math and the sciences, and some social skills, but the pressure is too great to do so.</p>
<p>However, the one good thing I get out of this is experience coping with stress/rigor, making a schedule, and at least experience in things I would have never touched if I was all focused on math/science.</p>
<p>What college do I plan to go to? The cheapest, nearest, easiest one to get into. The college that has electrical engineering and internships for work experience. It’s contrary to what I’ve been working for and telling people that I’m going there often comes with criticism. The trap is true as I’ve put myself through too much pressure for this. I could’ve also shown my shine by standing out in Science Olympiad instead of everything else, but I didn’t.</p>
<p>I’ve already said too much for the admissions officers reading the UC essay on my world. But that is it.
P.S. For the job and major I’m pursuing, managers say they don’t look at the university–they’ve had Ivy League Ph.D’s that they’ve laid-off because they didn’t have proper work ethics–I’m not stereotyping here, just saying they look for more than what is commonly said about the need to get into an Ivy League etc. At this point it may seem too long of a rant to continue with more reasons why I’m attending the only college that my family can afford…</p>
<p>I’m striving for the top 5% in my class. What I’m not striving for are the Ivy League colleges. Even though I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA, schedule with 5 AP classes, and 6 club memberships, I’m not going to go to somewhere where the effort required is usually not worth the debt you’ll have, at least for your undergraduate years.</p>
<p>Short term: I’m strivig to be the best I can be with a limited amount of stress- to do enough that I have the opportunity to do pretty much what I want but not necessarily to do it in an Ivy League school. I want to enjoy what’s left of my childhood and still be able to chill. I also want to do what I’m passionate about, but first, to figure out exactly what that is.
Long term: I want to be a great mom, to have a fulfilling career, to help people through my career, and that before I die (in a long time! ) when my life flashes in front of my eyes, I’ll like what I see.</p>
<p>I don’t see how some people can get through the crazy stress that is high school without some sort of idea of what they’re dreaming for. I would love to work in public health policy with the UN or as an orthopedist working with Doctors Without Borders. My motivation comes from aiming for something beyond myself. I can only make the world better for others if I work as hard as I can to place myself in a position where that is possible.</p>
) when my life flashes in front of my eyes, I’ll like what I see.</p>