by Ashley Torres
As the month of November approaches its end, the Christmas festivities begin. For graduating high school seniors, there will be no celebrations, only sleep-deprivation and headaches. The root of the problem? The college application process.
As a senior at Yerba Buena High School, I am currently struggling to find a balance between 3 AP classes, extracurricular activities, and college applications. It can be overwhelming at times.
I’ve noticed that I devote a majority of my time towards school work and school-related activities. It is a rare instance when I have time for myself for hobbies. 24 hours a day is simply not enough time to complete everything I need to.
My days typically consistent of waking up early, going to school for approximately
6-8 hours, attend any club meetings on that specific day or meet up with teachers for help on assignments, come home, work on homework for approximately 3-4 hours, and then go to sleep to get about 5 hours of sleep.
It seems nearly impossible to squeeze in time to complete college applications, despite knowing the deadline date is approaching.
As a senior at Yerba Buena High School, I am currently struggling to find a balance between 3 AP classes, extracurricular activities, and college applications. It can be overwhelming at times.
I’ve noticed that I devote a majority of my time towards school work and school-related activities. It is a rare instance when I have time for myself for hobbies. 24 hours a day is simply not enough time to complete everything I need to.
My days typically consistent of waking up early, going to school for approximately
6-8 hours, attend any club meetings on that specific day or meet up with teachers for help on assignments, come home, work on homework for approximately 3-4 hours, and then go to sleep to get about 5 hours of sleep.
It seems nearly impossible to squeeze in time to complete college applications, despite knowing the deadline date is approaching.
“College application deadlines are really important because I’m going to be stress about it at the end of it, like I am right now,” says America Virgen, senior at Yerba Buena High School. “I am super stressed. Super, super stressed.”
Virgen’s biggest worry is not getting accepted into a school of her choice—UCLA, UC Irvine, or SJSU.
“You never know. There is always that part of you that sparks, and [colleges] want you, even though you didn’t that good in the past because it’s not always about the grades,” she says.
Many other high school seniors across the country share the same worry because the college admission process is ultimately a matter of luck. However, for many young adults, this will be the first time they will face rejection, which can cause stress to their mental and physical health.
According to USA Today, Kristin O’Rourke, a former school social worker, feels that, “it’s the lack of control that [students] have that makes them really stressed.”
The ambitious high school senior would like a career in the medical field, such as nursing or dentistry. However, she is struggling to make her dreams into reality because there is a lot on her plate at the moment.
For Virgen, the UC application seems to be the most challenging because of the required 4 insight questions that need to be answered in 350 words or less. They help universities of California to see what kind of person a student is.
Virgen’s biggest worry is not getting accepted into a school of her choice—UCLA, UC Irvine, or SJSU.
“You never know. There is always that part of you that sparks, and [colleges] want you, even though you didn’t that good in the past because it’s not always about the grades,” she says.
Many other high school seniors across the country share the same worry because the college admission process is ultimately a matter of luck. However, for many young adults, this will be the first time they will face rejection, which can cause stress to their mental and physical health.
According to USA Today, Kristin O’Rourke, a former school social worker, feels that, “it’s the lack of control that [students] have that makes them really stressed.”
The ambitious high school senior would like a career in the medical field, such as nursing or dentistry. However, she is struggling to make her dreams into reality because there is a lot on her plate at the moment.
For Virgen, the UC application seems to be the most challenging because of the required 4 insight questions that need to be answered in 350 words or less. They help universities of California to see what kind of person a student is.
She also worries about where she will get the finances to go to college. She says, “say I do get accepted and I don’t have the money or I don’t get enough scholarships, that would suck.”
She also mentions that she wants to avoid taking a gap year because she wants continue her education as soon as she can. She says, “I know if i take a gap year, I am not going to want to go back to college.”
In order to cope with the academic and college preparation stress, Virgen tries to ease her worries with breathing techniques she learns through a yoga app on her phone and see her friends and counselor whenever she needs to.
“I want to achieve in having a good future job. I want to kind of get away from my parents,” she says, “I’m confident I'll be okay in the end of it all.”
She also mentions that she wants to avoid taking a gap year because she wants continue her education as soon as she can. She says, “I know if i take a gap year, I am not going to want to go back to college.”
In order to cope with the academic and college preparation stress, Virgen tries to ease her worries with breathing techniques she learns through a yoga app on her phone and see her friends and counselor whenever she needs to.
“I want to achieve in having a good future job. I want to kind of get away from my parents,” she says, “I’m confident I'll be okay in the end of it all.”