Wow. It’s been quite a few 6 months. From all the 2 am college essays to studying calculus during lunch and other periods, it’s been definitely the most transformative period of my life to date.
I think personally I’ve definitely learned that stress can push me to work a lot harder than I thought was possible. Again, having to write college essays at 2 am due to unfortunate procrastination was never ideal, but something I’ve definitely learned from. With the largely retrospective nature of college essays, I find myself being more reflective and analytical than I ever was, something that has helped me appreciate the smaller, less spectacular things in life.
Let’s start with multivariable calculus, a double-edged sword of being academically rigorous (in a good way) yet also mentally and physically taxing. From spending pretty much every morning in math help asking questions, I definitely have learned strategies to use when I’m struggling in college.
Here is my really delightful multivariable study guide on just the formulas we have to know! And this is just half of it….
Posting on the blog site it looks a bit blurry… I guess you’ll have to take my word for it that there’s a lot here!
Then college applications, the other Beloved-like haunting of my senior year. Working at 2 am, taking power naps for an hour to keep working (and hoping that I don’t fall asleep), all helped me grow.
Personally, I’ve learned not only how to study, but how to cope with friends, something that I never really did in the past with bad tests/ college rejections. I’ve also seen how consistent friendships are much better than friendships that are more on and off. Hanging out with a few people for the entire semester, through the highs and lows of the year I’ve learned so much not only in academics but also about them.
You always hear people say how you should start college applications early, yet no one actually does and ends up telling the rising seniors to do that, and repeat. I find either strategy has its merit, while yes, working early and having time to refine and build off of your claims systematically and being able to conference with others is good, I believe (while not procrastinating) working closer to deadlines is not the worst thing. Most people do the latter, which sure, a week or two here or there will definitely be bad, but your writing isn’t diluted with the criticisms of 10 other people, it’s true to you.
So my advice is, even if you have many applications due in a very short period of time, as you probably will, don’t sweat it, but make sure to pull some pretty late hours to study.
As for school wise, I would say generally keep up the rigor of your previous year’s classes. Me, I was lucky that a lot of the harder classes I wanted to take conflicted with each other, and I had to find substitute classes that were a bit easier. With the study hall that comes when you take online PE, working during lunch, and generally finding time, I was able to get a lot of my homework done, so getting home I could start on college work pretty quickly.
As I’ve mentioned before, I definitely feel as though college applications and AP lit have made me a more retrospective and reflective person, something I value for growth. I also learned to appreciate the jobs of writers, as sometimes writing even a paragraph can take an hour.
What lessons would I take away with me to college…. That’s a good question. Finding a group of friends to study with and have fun with is important, probably having to stay up until very late hours at the library studying, etc.
This semester is by far my hardest yet… and I’ve learned so much from it. Hopefully next semester I’ll be able to learn the values of a more chill senior year.
That’s been me for this short yet intense chapter of life.
-Max
3 thoughts on “The Final Blog”
Hi Max. Great post! I think you definitely brought up a few great points about the college application process and advice to rising seniors. I am also majorly procrastinating on my college essays, but in a way I am glad that I have (even though it is stressful). This year I have reflected on my past and where I am headed a lot. I am so different in this aspect than when I started this year. I would have never expected the appreciation for the past that I currently hold, and I am glad I can use this attitude in addressing some of my college essays. I too felt like writing college essays really guided this reflection. I think it is really important that we take this time to slow down and remember where we have been as we prepare to start the next chapter in our lives. I also liked your advice to seniors writing college essays that sometimes the ones written right before deadlines are the best because they are not edited and critiqued by other writers, ultimately taking away from your own voice. I’m glad you have had a good year so far…good luck in multivariable calculus!
opduda
Max, I was reading your blog and I was struck with a moment of “I went to elementary school with this kid, and look where we are now.” Can you believe it?
I definitely agree with you, that stress can push us to work harder – but only under the right circumstances. I’ve said this to you multiple times, but your 20+ college applications doesn’t exactly fall under the category of “healthy stress.” It’s almost weird for me, how stressed out I was last year, compared to this year and my low levels of stress. Even though I’m taking the same amount of APs, plus college applications, I think I’ve learned to cope with overwhelming situations in better ways (and also the fact that I decided not to take MVC… best decision of my life.)
I also fell victim to procrastination, and even though I’ve been telling myself since middle school that I’d fix my addiction to doing things last minute, it really hasn’t gotten any better. It really does help a lot, working on a little bit every day and building up your essay, rather than lumping it all into three hours of work. I think I’ve made a little growth in that area – I’ve started my regular decision applications already, instead of waiting last minute like I did for earlies!
Yes, please learn how to chill a little bit for next semester. Awesome blog post, have a wonderful break.
Adelyn
This semester has probably been my toughest yet- 4 AP classes, extracurriculars, college apps. In case I forgot to tell you, I literally stopped working just so I had enough time to manage the myriad responsibilities of this year. With what I know of your workload, I commend you for still being alive, and for making it through the semester. MVC seems like an absolute gauntlet from an outsider’s perspective, especially with the additional hour before class where you guys all go upstairs to Ms. Moore and ask the litany of questions I’m sure each day’s lessons bring. It’s nothing short of a daily ritual. The fact that it takes away from some quality time hanging out each non-Wednesday morning upsets me a little, too. On your point about college apps, I wish that even if present-day me went over to September me and lectured him about the value of NOT PUTTING OFF YOUR COLLEGE APPS. That week was perhaps my most stressful one in recent memory, considering the implications a bad series of college applications can have on someone’s educational and career prospects. Between that and timed writings, this semester has been a solid opportunity to grow in terms of writing under pressure (this comment cycle as well)! Enjoy your winter break, and I can’t wait to have another semester of Lit with you, Max!
dmdelegge