I took a Buzzfeed quiz that identifies your most felt emotion within a given period of time (just kidding, but if I did this is probably what the results would be):
Although this past semester of high school has been the most challenging semester for me, it has also been the most rewarding. AP Lit has been a precious part of this experience, and I am eager to continue next semester. “As I Lay Dying” and “Beloved” have enhanced my ability to dive deep into various genres of literature, and I will definitely be applying my new knowledge about culture, themes, and structure to my future readings (especially over winter break.) Lit has also altered my brain chemistry, I have started incorporating the words ambiguous, ambivalent, and ergo into my daily vocabulary (I find it interesting how we incorporate words into our everyday usage ironically, but after a while end up using them unironically).
However, unlike the Brundrens, I have learned to focus more on enjoying the journey. This year has been challenging, I thought it could not get worst from the last semester of Junior year in terms of tests and college stress, but it did. I feel like many people felt this way, but being around such great individuals always makes things a little easier.
During the personality test that we took at the beginning of this year, the description of my personality said that I am an idealist. When I read this, I realized that it was completely true, oftentimes to a fault. This can often be a toxic mindset, so since then, I have been trying to notice moments where I am stressed because of not fulfilling certain ideals about my life, what I should be achieving, and when. This was a moment of growth for me.
The advice that I would always hear from seniors last year is to not stress too much during the college app process, however, I found this advice to be a bit ambiguous. So, my best attempt to reduce stress is to have something that creates structure in my days. Allocating time to take breaks and fulfill specific tasks allows me to become conscious of how balanced my life is day to day and the impacts on my mental health. For example, I have a planner that I use to plan out three main aspects of my life:
- School work: homework, studying, preparing
- Extracurricular commitments: organizing for clubs, sports, volunteering, college apps, etc.
- Health: spending time with family and friends, working out, hobbies, etc.
When I write down my ToDo List, I color code each of these things, and if I am missing a color, I try to add it in. I usually notice that I am missing my health color, and some days I don’t get around to adding it in when things get really busy. When there are too many days where I do not have one solid health activity planned into my day, I notice that I burn out way easier. Anyways, this is the system that I developed that works for me, but overall my recommendation is to create a structure that is not too strict but aims to keep balance in your days.
I’ve always had this glorified vision of getting into a great college and having everything made. I’m not sure why, but the culture going into high school definitely promotes this unhealthy mindset, which is only enhanced by more intense issues with the school system itself (I’ll get into more another day, but the issue is that while getting an A and gaining mastery of the material are supposed to be the same thing, they really are not…) However, at this point in my life, I try to feel always excited for the future because no matter what happens, it will be an adventure and I am curious to see what happens.
For the next stage of my path, I want to create a life where working towards my dreams is fun. I understand that the top of one mountain is just the bottom of the next, therefore, enjoying the climb is essential because that is all there will ever be. I am extremely excited to take advantage of all the great opportunities in college, explore the passions that I already have, and discover some new ones.
(P.S. Thank you Mr. Williams for making this Canvas submission unlimited attempts…)
Kaetlyn — As a former Buzzfeed quiz aficionado, I’m a big fan of this week’s title. I like what you said about Lit being rewarding a lot! I definitely agree; I think that the texts this year have definitely been more challenging than past English classes, but I’ve found myself really enjoying the process of coming to better understand them — weirdly, I really loved the stream-of-consciousness style of As I Lay Dying.
Your advice on structuring your time is great. I think I definitely struggled a ton with procrastination last year, and have been sort of forced to be more on top of things this year — if you told junior year me I would write blogs ahead of time and not just the night they were due, I think she might have been a little surprised. Your color-coding system is cool! I don’t think I’m organized enough to manage it, but I like how it prioritizes balance; I think that’s a super healthy way to think of it, and I’ve found that incorporating time for myself and friends and family into my days has definitely helped keep me from burning out.
You’re going to do great things in college, hope you have an amazing second semester!!