If you ask 100 students about the most challenging period of their lives, 90 of them will tell you about the college application process. There are a lot of things that you have to do, and a lot of these things are absolutely out of your control. You have to decide what you’re going to do in the future, choose the right college, impress the admission committee, meet the expectations of your parents, and so on. Without any exaggeration, it is really very challenging and stressful.
The good news is that you can make this period less stressful and more exciting. You can focus on the positive moments and manage the negative aspects. For example, many students hire a custom writing service that helps them to come up with a compelling admission essay. There are also other tips that will support you on this path.
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4 strategies that will help you to overcome the college admission stress
The main thing you should know is that you’re not alone. There are a lot of other young people who have the same difficulties, and you can always find a way to overcome these ordeals. So, we want to share the most effective strategies that you can use during the college process.
Plan your time
To most people, this advice will seem obvious but is necessary to admit that most young people have time management issues. When you’re a high-school student, you need to deal with many assignments, social obligations, and other tasks that don’t let you organize your time appropriately. That’s why you may find yourself in a situation when your deadlines are looming, and you have no idea what your next steps are.
First of all, always start in advance and ensure that you control your schedule. Use a convenient calendar to plan your activities, and divide all big projects into smaller milestones with their own deadlines.
Focus on your own path
One of the reasons that cause stress during the college application process is that students are hearing stories from other people. They forget that every case is different and unique, and if something happened to one student, it might not happen to them. So, if you have heard the story that someone applied to a college with an essay on teamwork and got it, it doesn’t mean that you need to forget about your essay ideas and write about teamwork as well. Filter out the stories and focus on your own path. And if you have some doubts or questions, you can contact the college counselor directly.
Be sincere and realistic
One of the most challenging things to do in the graduation and admissions process is to be sincere about your expectations and opportunities. Many young people watch movies about going to college, fall in love with a dream college, and forget that such colleges are pretty selective. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dream big; it means that you need to understand your chances.
When you’re writing your application letter, be honest and sincere about your achievements and expectations. Don’t write about projects that you didn’t work on, don’t include skills that you can’t support with evidence, etc. If it is difficult for you to find a balance between being honest and highlighting your advantages, you can work with your counselor or ask for professional help.
Don’t forget about your personal life
Surely, college application is an interesting and important stage. However, you shouldn’t disappear in it. It will be a mistake to forget about healthy sleep, sports, friends, volunteering projects, etc. Though you should be focused on the application process, you still need to spend time just like you want it, like you used to.
Besides, most colleges are looking for students who are living bright lives. They are interested not in your grades only, and they want to know what kind of person you are. So, if you have different spheres of life, you’ll kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, you’ll spend your time in a usual manner, and you also will be a more attractive candidate.
10 best movies that will help you to enjoy the college application process
- Legally Blonde. This 2001 movie is a teen comedy film that imparts a lot of helpful lessons. It tells us that we should be true to who we are, that we should work hard if we want to overcome challenges and make our dreams come true. The interesting fact is that this film is based on Amanda Brown’s story, who proved that she wasn’t just a nice face.
- The Spectacular Now. It is a story about Sutter, a high school senior who doesn’t care for studies. He likes parties and alcohol, but once his girlfriend decides to apply for a college program, he helps her and…changes his entire life during this process.
- The Social Network. We bet that you’ve heard about this 2010 movie because it tells the story of Facebook’s creator Mark Zuckerberg. It teaches us that money or popularity in college or life don’t matter that much as happiness and true friendship do. At the same time, it shows that even the greatest stories start with a beginning when you’re full of doubts and fears.
- Dead Poetry Society. It is a perfect drama about poetry where a teacher teaches his students to be who they are and express their feelings and emotions. Young boys gather together each night to read and discuss poems. And it shows to us that life is not limited to school, some important things that we should know are learned somewhere else.
- Orange County. When you’re looking for movies about college admissions, you expect to watch some success stories. But this one begins with a disappointment — Shaun receives a letter that informs him about application failure. Instead of Stanford, Shaun got accepted to Orange County, and it looks like his dream to become a writer will never come true. Well, let’s see.
- The Great Debaters. We really like biographical movies because they tell you real stories. This one is about a group of black students who did their best to win against the debate team at Harvard University that was all-white. When it comes to a takeaway, we need to mention that this movie teaches us respect, the will to achieve heights and win, freedom of expression, and intolerance to racism.
- Generation College Student. All students know how challenging it is to come up with a personal statement. Ana from this movie knows this as well. Her teacher urges her to write about personal experiences, to be honest, and sincere. Ana has to do some soul searching and decide what she really wants to do and where her real voice is.
- Accepted. What if you apply to various colleges and endure rejections from all of them? Bartleby from Accepted generated a pretty crazy idea — he created a fictitious college with fake school life. Is it a good way to deal with failure? Who knows! This movie is fun and light-themed, but it also comes with valuable and inspiring lessons.
- Rudy. Movies based on true stories are especially inspiring. You’ll fall in love with Rudy, a story about a boy who had poor grades, and his stature wasn’t good enough to apply for a dream college program and start a football career. However, his persistence helped Rudy to make his dreams come true.
- The Intern. Though this movie doesn’t take place on a college campus, it shares a very important message: it doesn’t matter how old you are, you still can stand out among other applicants. The main character of this film is a senior man who joins a tech startup with young colleagues. Firstly, his job looked like a total disaster, but then everything changed.
