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February 26, 2007
Junior year revisited
My junior year of high school was packed with activity. I was learning to drive my white Chevy Cavalier (which I still drive, five years later), desperate to trade my spot on the school bus for a parking spot next to our football stadium. I was more than settled into high school -- knowing where to go and who to talk to. The bittersweet "end is near" feeling of senior year had yet to grasp me.
But as the year trotted on, the college decision process seemed to be following me everywhere. My mother, certain that if I didn't apply yesterday there wouldn't be any spots left for me, asked me daily how many schools I'd researched, how many applications I'd started. Our dining room table was littered with college guides that she checked out of the library, cycling in new college advice with every due date. She pored over them while I ignored them, spending my time watching Dawson's Creek with my friends or gossiping over a raspberry mocha at Starbucks.
But through the year, I found time for the books. I'd page through one while I ate cereal before dashing off to school. I'd look up a school I heard a friend talking about between classes or a school a trusted teacher had attended. I wasn't as frantic as my mother was, but I slowly learned to care.
By the time summer approached, I had a list of some schools that I was interested in. There weren't a million of them, but there were a few that I thought might be real gems. The books had helped, but so had my friends, family and teachers. I followed my gut and pursued schools that looked appealing overall, not just on paper or in the rankings. It didn't require months of research or immediate action during the first week of my junior year. It was simply something that was in the back of my mind, something that got my attention when I had some free time or it was a topic of discussion. I never stressed, never stayed up late, never missed a fun night because I was searching for colleges.
My relaxed, leisurely approach allowed me to only pursue schools that were truly amazing to me. I didn't have a quota, demanding that I become interested in 23 schools by summer. I just did what felt right. And the best part? It worked.
Jenn Parson
English and Marketing
Class of 2007
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