My first-semester senior year of high school has honestly been the semester I feel I have grown the most. Personally, I struggled heavily during my junior year trying to balance my academic and home life. When I was picking out my schedule end of junior year, I decided that I was not going to overexert myself and gave myself an early dismissal. This was probably the best decision I have made in my high school career and something I highly recommend future seniors do, especially for the first semester. I underestimated how much time college applications would take and having an early dismissal really saved me. Additionally, having an early dismissal allowed me to manage my time better. Having more time to plan out the rest of my day made me more efficient and got rid of being stressed every minute of the day.
Another big decision I made was actually more recently. I decided to not take my next semester’s
math class, Linear Algebra. As I am on this journey of learning my limits (live laugh love calculus jokes), I also have been prioritizing my mental health and happiness more. I had a great time my first semester, but my math class consumed seventy percent of my time inside and outside of school. Realistically, I could take Linear Algebra and just power through the class, this is probably what junior year Celina would have done. However, I have now come to terms with the fact that I simply do not like math enough to put myself through that for another entire semester. Further, it would be an unnecessary stressor in my home life since everyone was on edge about my MVC grade (don’t worry I pulled through on the final).
Throughout my first-semester senior year experience, I also learned that I really enjoy the field of psychology. Before taking AP Psychology I never had exposure to the ideologies involved with the subject and always saw myself as a more math and computer science-oriented person. Yet, when Mr. Scott did his first psychological trick on us in the first week of class, I became fascinated with the subject. So much so that I think AP Psychology has been my favorite class this semester (sorry Mr. Williams). My parents were just as shocked as I was when I randomly started pointing out the Freudian defense mechanisms they demonstrate at the dinner table. As the class continues, I find myself more and more enthralled by the modern applications of what I have learned. Maybe I’ll end up being a #WomenInPsych instead of a #WomenInCS.
Mr. Scott’s enlightening class had also made me a more open-minded person in general. I thought I found my niche in middle school and never really allowed myself to continue exploring other interests. I always thought that I should know what my future career is as soon as possible so I could prepare in high school and college. Yet, as I have gone through high school and specifically my senior year, I finally gained an understanding that one does not have to be ahead of the curve or know their star factor in sixth grade to be successful.
As I am re-reading what I have written so far I realize that I have basically been rambling about
calculus and my climb up Maslow’s Hierarchy Needs for the past five hundred words. So I am going to end this blog with a total change of topic and some advice that I wish someone had told me before entering my senior year: college is a shot in the dark, don’t take it to heart. No, I am not just saying this because I got deferred from the one school in the state of Illinois that I actually like and wanted to go to 😥. But honestly, I have transformed into an optimist this semester. After crying for two hours after the fact, I realized that I still have the entire college process left and needed to suck it up and finish writing the rest of my regular decision applications. Which in turn made me feel better because as I researched more schools I realized how much I had put my early school on a pedestal and that other schools also offer amazing programs and courses.
I now want to go and eat Cheez-Its, so that is the end of my first semester blogs! I hope to come back with a more stationary blog post next semester, see you then!
Hey Celina! I feel like in every blog post I have read, people have said that this is the semester they have grown the most and I feel the same way. I wish I had taken an early dismissal or a late arrival because I am so jealous of all of my friends who do and that extra time seem to really benefit them. Side note, the calculus joke made me laugh out loud. I think its a really good thing that you are so aware of your boundaries and are putting your mental health first. I think that is very admirable of you because I know a lot of people who do not think the same way. This is something that I am personally working on but I think I am getting better at it, in this semester especially. AP PSYCHOLOGY SOUNDS LIKE SO MUHC FUN! I have only heard good things about the class and Mr. Scott, psychology is something that interests me as well and I really wish I had found the space to put it in my schedule. Hopefully in college, I will be able to take a psych class and see if I too want to become a #WomanInPsych. I think we had very similar first semesters and I hope you are able to enjoy your second semester as well. Happy Holidays!
Hi Celina,
I had a very similar revelation about economics as you did about psychology. Although you know better than anyone in this room how little I studied for that class, you also probably know that I use ideas like marginal analysis when I make decisions. As for my future, I have no idea what I want to do or how I want to spend my career, but an appropriate guiding question will be “what would the money do?” Just kidding I’m not that superficial. Funny joke though. Haha.
As for MVC and ELA, I admire that you are doing what you want to do. I also don’t like math enough to spend a second more toiling through that class, but alas, my investment has already been made. I have paid the North Central College fee for dual credit and Mrs. Moore has already taken me to the metaphorical cleaners by draining all my time and energy on her class. It is, in economics terminology, a sunk cost for me.
Lastly, on the prescient conversation about college… I know it is easy to say that “you’ll end up wherever you need to be,” so I won’t. Instead, I can offer a bit of helpful realism. You are an amazing applicant. You have already done all of the work to back up your application. Admissions decisions aren’t mathematical. If they were, you would get in (and I don’t even need multivariable calculus to know that). The only thing mathematical is that most applicants to any competitive school will be rejected, no matter how qualified they are. But you deserve, at the very least, to know that you are qualified.
With much love,
Zach
Hi Celina!
I’m right there with you on this semester being a moment of growth. It’s just been a time for all of us to learn and develop as people; most of us are turning 18, and we’re swiftly maturing.
I’m so proud of you for prioritizing yourself and dropping ELA. As much as I’ll miss you, I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself. Go Celina! So proud of you for pulling through on that final, and it doesn’t matter how disappointed your dad is that you’re “so close!” because you worked hard and that ethic will serve you well in your premed adventures.
I’m glad you found this new interest in Psychology. I think it’s a fascinating field and it’s cool that you got to embrace a new side to yourself. Practical application is the best application, especially compared to what we learned this year math which is totally impractical. Mr. Scott sound awesome for helping to develop this new aspect of Celina, and I can’t wait to see where this takes you next semester.
I also like your last note about college. It’s sad but it’s true and it’s something we needed to hear. It’s a good philosophy that yoou’ve embraced to look into other schools and be more open-miinded. There are so many amazing institution waiting to make you the next Dr. Anwar and I know you will be so successful because of the work you’re putting in now.
Thanks for a great read Celina. I’m so glad we got to spend this semester together and I can’t wait to finish out this fever dream called high school with you in our 8th and final semester. Have a great break and let’s make sure to go ice-skating soon.