“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” A famous quote by Ferris Bueller that I would use to describe how swiftly time gets past you. It felt like not too long ago I was just graduating 5th grade, starting online classes because of Covid-19, and then entering my first year at Pembroke Pines Charter High School.
It is now my senior year, and in less than 5 months, I will be walking across the stage, getting handed my diploma from Mr. Bayer. While it’s bittersweet, especially because of how much I’ve seen myself grow as a person, I am excited to begin this new journey in college. Now that it’s close to the end, I feel the best thing I can leave students at Charter with is some advice as they someday begin their senior year here at PPCHS.
To the procrastinators:
Don’t wait until the last minute when doing all things necessary for college! While it may seem like a lot at first, I promise that if you just start early and take it with ease, you won’t feel as stressed. A good time to begin your college essay is the summer before your senior year.
During the summer, you will have plenty of time to develop and think of ideas you would like to write about. Something I did that helped me while writing my essay was doing a mind map with your main idea in the center and things you would like to discuss around it.
Make your essay impactful and make sure you reflect on how this topic has shaped you into the person you are today. During the summer, you can also reach out to teachers or counselors you would like to get recommendation letters from. Choose someone who you believe knows your work ethic, personality, and progression as a student. Starting early gives you the opportunity to ask questions you’re confused about and seek guidance when needed.
When applying:
Opening Common App for the first time can be quite intimidating, but if you feel as though you aren’t ready yet, at least fill out the profile section which asks you simple questions about yourself. If you want to be more organized, I also strongly suggest you create a new email for things regarding college so it’s all sorted correctly and easily accessible.
All application updates and emails from colleges will go straight there and won’t fill other emails. If you already have your mind set on a Florida school and want an even better chance of getting in, you can apply early action (EA) and enroll in summer instead of fall as college acceptance rates grow higher within these aspects. Now going onto picking a major, it’s 100% okay for you to not know what you want to do. This is why many colleges have the option of “undecided.”
As you go about your first year of college, you may discover an interest you want to pursue and that’s fine! You aren’t behind, you are going at your own pace. Another tip that’s extremely helpful is to go to Ms. Perez’s afterschool college help! These little lessons will help prepare you and answer the many questions you’ll have.
Final Message:
While the first semester can be tough, especially with the whole college application process, don’t forget to take it in and enjoy it all. Senior year is full of exciting things such as Prom and Grad Bash, so don’t forget to take pictures and live in the moment as many changes are to come.
Join clubs you have interest in and give back to your community by volunteering. Take those AICE and AP classes because challenging yourself is a good thing! Finally, don’t stress about where you’ll get into. You will end up where you’re meant to go.
