Sisters

I’ve been in college now for less time than I spent filling out applications, and I can already say it was time well spent. The stress of taking standardized tests, addressing countless envelopes, spending hours looking into colleges across the country and writing essays that portrayed the essence of who I am in about 300 words all got me to where I am today. Although I am glad that I don’t have to do it again, I am so thankful I did it then. The stress and hard work has paid off tenfold, and I’m only [ ...continue reading ]]]>

Sisters

I’ve been in college now for less time than I spent filling out applications, and I can already say it was time well spent. The stress of taking standardized tests, addressing countless envelopes, spending hours looking into colleges across the country and writing essays that portrayed the essence of who I am in about 300 words all got me to where I am today. Although I am glad that I don’t have to do it again, I am so thankful I did it then. The stress and hard work has paid off tenfold, and I’m only four weeks into classes.

So to all you high school seniors, or even the younger ones starting to test out the college waters, hang in there! It’s more than worth it. Take your college apps seriously, and give them the time they deserve. I know how much of a hassle it can be, but I am starting to see the benefits. You will soon, too. Trust me when I say that college is a magical experience. As the president of my school likes to say, it’s the last time in life when you can be “irresponsible responsibly.” It’s a time to meet different types of people and try things that you have never even considered before.

Before I get ahead of myself, though, let’s get back to high school for a minute. If I can give you only one piece of advice that you’ll take to heart, I hope it’s this: DO EVERYTHING! Seriously, go to all the dances, games, charity events, plays, parties and other miscellaneous events that you can work into your schedule. Especially those special senior events. If it sounds lame, make it fun! Spend time with and support your friends. Make new friends (it’s never too late). In short, live it up. Enjoy being young and relatively carefree; I mean, it’s not like you’re paying the mortgage. Life isn’t that tough yet. And, hey, at the end of all these things, you have college to look forward to. What more could you ask for?

Sisters going to college now!

With all of millions of people participating in social-networking sites and programs today, it can be hard to remember sometimes that this common hobby can still be dangerous. You may think that the only people who are able to view your information are the “friends” on your page, but that is a common misconception. Child predators, police officials and the government all have their ways of accessing your pages—putting you at risk of possibly attracting unwanted attention or, at worst, getting busted.

Facebook, for instance, is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends [ ...continue reading ]]]>

With all of millions of people participating in social-networking sites and programs today, it can be hard to remember sometimes that this common hobby can still be dangerous. You may think that the only people who are able to view your information are the “friends” on your page, but that is a common misconception. Child predators, police officials and the government all have their ways of accessing your pages—putting you at risk of possibly attracting unwanted attention or, at worst, getting busted.

Facebook, for instance, is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and stay in touch with people from out of town, but you never really know who you are communicating with behind that computer screen. I personally think that putting information on Facebook such as your telephone number and e-mail address are far too personal. You never know who will try to contact you, and what they will do with that contact information. Finding the right balance between letting others know what is going on in your life but still staying safe and private at the same time is key to not putting yourself in danger.

One test for knowing when enough is enough: Is there anything on your social-networking sites or pages that you don’t want the entire world to see? You may think a comment or picture is deleted just by pressing the “delete” button, but trust me, it is in cyberspace for good. So the next time you put a new piece of info on your page, just make sure you’re comfortable with you and—potentially—the whole world viewing it.

While this might sound petty and unimportant, it’s actually rather significant. In [ ...continue reading ]]]>
School’s out, so it’s official—I’m a senior now! Although that’s really fun to say, I have mixed feelings about the end of junior year. Obviously, there’s the relief that most of the SAT and GPA (and tons of other acronyms) craziness is behind me. However, there’s also the sadness in saying goodbye to this year’s seniors, some of whom are among my closest friends. But more than anything else, there’s a sense of accomplishment—we finally made it to the top of the high school food chain.

While this might sound petty and unimportant, it’s actually rather significant. In the high school world, your age determines practically everything—from the positions you can hold in student government to where you sit in the cafeteria. The sheer number of unwritten “rules” is baffling: freshmen have to sit here and seniors have to sit there; underclass girls invited to prom can’t wear floor-length dresses; don’t expect to be president of a club until at least junior year…the list goes on and on. While violating one of these “rules” won’t get you shoved in a garbage can or Slushied, “Glee”-style, you are sure to attract some dirty looks and maybe even a tall upperclassman telling you, “You have to move.” 

If this sounds harsh, it’s because it is. However, it’s also oddly comforting. In the world of high school, everything is new and confusing and few things are ever absolute and unchanging. Amidst all the craziness, it’s kind of nice to walk into the cafeteria and know where you fit. But maybe I’m just saying that because I get to sit in the senior section now!

Often in class I find myself counting down the minutes until the bell rings. On Mondays, I tell myself Friday will be here again soon. The other day my friend and I counted up the days of school left in our senior year. We were shocked to find that there are less than 65. This got me thinking…why am I so anxious for time to pass quickly?

This is my senior year of high school. I should be soaking up every second, not wishing them away. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way unsatisfied with the [ ...continue reading ]]]>

Often in class I find myself counting down the minutes until the bell rings. On Mondays, I tell myself Friday will be here again soon. The other day my friend and I counted up the days of school left in our senior year. We were shocked to find that there are less than 65. This got me thinking…why am I so anxious for time to pass quickly?

This is my senior year of high school. I should be soaking up every second, not wishing them away. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way unsatisfied with the course my life is taking at the moment, and I’m a generally happy-go-lucky girl. So what in the world is up with this obsession I’ve formed with countdowns? Why am I pressuring the proclaimed “best time of my life” to go by any faster than it absolutely has to?

Honestly, I have no idea. Life is crazy enough already. On Friday, February 12, our boys’ basketball team had a game. The next day I had a college interview in the morning, followed by winter formal at night, and it was my best friend’s 18^th birthday, which put me in bed around 4:30 a.m. Sunday was Valentine’s Day, which I got to spend with my boyfriend. Monday we had a “day off” that didn’t involve much relaxing. After that came four days of school (filled with countdowns to lunch or the end of the day). But when school ended Friday, the week was far from over as I ran to another college interview and then a basketball playoff game.

I guess what I’m trying to get across is that my life is hectic right now, and this is making my senior year fly by. There is really no need for my silly little countdowns.

Hence, I have come up with a resolution: to truly live life to the fullest, as cliché as that may sound. Life is short and tomorrow is never a guarantee, so it’s crucial to view the time we do get as a gift/blessing and make the most of every moment. Those classes that I count down the minutes to get through could really teach me some important things if I just let them. From now on, I’m going to live in the present and appreciate it. After all, you only live a moment once, and once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

Posted by Tori S., age 18, California