High School Students – Page 5 – The Independent Learner

The Reality Check: “The Wait and See List”

Colleges want to make sure that they will have a full freshman class, so their admissions offices often create “wait lists” to make a plan on how to fulfill that goal if fewer students than predicted accept admission offers.

Receiving a college acceptance letter is an ego boost; receiving a college “wait list letter” may momentarily feel quite the opposite. Emily Dickinson wrote, “Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door.”

The first thing to remember is that the sun will rise tomorrow. With a positive outlook, future opportunities may require perseverance and, like Milton Berle once said, “If the opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

Remain calm in adversity; remember that being on the wait list is not a rejection. A wait list letter is just saying that you haven’t been accepted at this time, be patient. Time may allow you to be accepted or you might find the perfect opportunity elsewhere.
As students notify colleges with their enrollment decisions, colleges may begin seeing more room for freshman students. This is when colleges send students on the “wait and see” list acceptance letters.
Reviewing your options is important. Contacting the admissions department will help you develop a clear understanding of the size of the wait list and may encourage you to compare other options.
If you feel the school is your only perfect match, write an upbeat letter to your college admissions adviser indicating your very strong interest. Explain why their school is the best fit for you and give specific examples that meet your needs, wants and desires to build the door.

Don’t depend on a wait list letter to get accepted into a college; keep your other options in mind.

Remember being put on a wait list is not a rejection; it’s merely a test of your patience and a chance for you to evaluate your options thoroughly one more time.

From One Procrastinator to Another

I almost did not write this blog, I just kept putting it off, putting it off and putting it off. I finally decided to make a procrastination acrostic with statements and thoughts that hopefully can be helpful to you if you have issues with being a procrastinator.

Procrastination is a problem of self-regulation.

Recognizing that you are a procrastinator is an important step.

Opt out of putting things off by saying, “I will do it tomorrow.”

Coping mechanism for a lot of people.

Really would rather play video games or do something else.

All people procrastinate sometimes, you are not alone.

Set goals and list the steps needed to meet them.

Time management skills development (use a planning device).

I work better under pressure! Is that really true for you?

Nice to have someone who will help keep you on track (an accountability partner).

Adopt anti-procrastination strategies like a daily to-do list.

Treat or reward yourself for getting something done early or on time.

Idleness is okay sometimes (we all need a break from our pressures).

Opt out of looking for distractions, so you don’t have to do your needed task.

Never give up on improving your procrastination habits!

Famous American patriot, Ben Franklin, once said, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” but well-known American author, Mark Twain, also stated, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well.”

It’s your choice which advice you will follow! All the best to my fellow procrastinators!

Your High School Experience: Years From Now, Will You Be Thinking, Redo?

For some of us, a trip back to high school means going back in time, for some (like myself) at least 40 years! What’s interesting though, is that I have a very vivid memory of those high school years. I can easily remember my many wonderful teachers and friends, but it was the high school experience that really stuck with me and pushed me to further my education.

I feel fortunate to be able to hold onto those great memories of fun times and great friends, and not look back wishing that I could redo my experience.

Much of this has to do with my experience during this time. High school was a time of expanding my knowledge base beyond the core academics of English, math, science and social studies. I had the opportunity to obtain a well-rounded public education that included many electives in areas outside my core classes. Forty years later, I am still proud of what I accomplished during my time, but even more grateful for the excellent teachers who invested in me during this time in my life.

To avoid the pitfall of wishing for a redo, I offer this advice: Challenge yourself. Push yourself. Venture into the unknown areas of the curriculum that you never thought you’d try. Take as many advantages of this learning experience as you can, because you can. No one can stop you from trying out for any of the sport teams or plays, or speech debates that are available to all students.

This advice may seem intimidating, but it starts with small steps:

Start early. If there is any way you can get into a program at your future high school the summer following your last year in middle school, do it. This could be participating in a weight lifting program during the summer. If the school offers drama, music or speech opportunities during this time, take advantage of them. This will give you a chance to meet fellow students before the school year starts, it also gets you involved right away in activities offered at your high school.
Each quarter or semester, remind yourself of your priorities and goals. You are there to get the best education and learning the school has to offer. What grades will you demand of yourself? Build a study schedule and then adjust according to degree of difficulty as you go through the year. Once you reach a goal, cross it off and establish a new one. Push yourself to accomplish any goals set.
Take advantage of unexpected experiences as they come your way. You never know when an opportunity becomes available and if it does, be willing to take advantage of it. For example, school announcements mention great experiences for students, whether it is an opportunity to volunteer at the recycling center or to audition for a school play. Take a chance, get involved and you’ll find that stretching your experiences pays a benefit to yourself and usually expands your skill set.
Keep a record of your “beyond the classroom” experiences. After high school, you may be looking for employment before taking on the next educational experience, so keeping track of any community or volunteering activities you participated in, can put you in the driver’s seat of employment opportunities.

High school is a time to grow your experiences, your own learning opportunities and develop social and developmental relationships all around yourself. Forty years from now, you do not want to be that person that says, “I should have participated in the band. I should have gone out for wrestling. I should have participated in debate.”

Go out and make it happen.

Biding Your Time: The College Application Process

Patience, internal fortitude, self-control and poise are all traits required when waiting for a college admissions letter. After all, the past year was spent studying, completing forms, preparing for important tests, writing essays, reading college websites, consulting with college admissions advisers and visiting campuses – one more time.

It’s been a very busy time and now you are checking the mailbox daily for any letter that could contain good news from the multiple applications submitted. The formal acknowledgement is just around the corner—and it will be one of the first big decisions of your life. You will finally get to say, “YES! This is it, I’m going to ____________!”

Congratulations, if you’re an Early Decision or Early Action Admission letter recipient. Congratulations, if you have received a letter of intent and/or will be invited to National Signing Day. Congratulations, if you have been awarded a college scholarship. However, be advised that only a few colleges begin notifying students in mid-December to the end of winter (as early as late February). Be assured that many colleges load the mailboxes in March to late spring, and the most competitive colleges allow their applicants to test their patience until April Fool’s Day or later. Rolling college admissions is an ongoing process.

In the meantime, what should you do?

1. Check online to review the status of your application.

2. Check to see if pieces are missing from the application (e.g., order the necessary transcript, test score report or request a recommendation letter).

3. Call the college if you do not receive an email confirmation within 10 days to three weeks after submitting the application.

Chill-lax. Waiting for a college acceptance letter means you are just like thousands of other students worldwide.

“Go Ahead, Make My Day”

Clint Eastwood’s popular character in many of his movies was Dirty Harry (Detective Harry Callahan). A tough law enforcer, Harry was well known for the catchphrase, “Go ahead, make my day”. This phrase usually came out at a pivotal time in the film where Dirty Harry was ready to dispatch a bad guy if they drew their weapon or did not back down.

In direct contrast to this well-known quote, we do have the opportunity each day to encourage people in a positive way with kindness.

Have you recently benefited from someone else’s acts of kindness?

I know I have. Whether it is someone who allows me to merge in traffic, flashes an accepting smile or shares an encouraging word, I daily reap the rewards from others’ kind gestures.

The size of the act really does not matter. It is important to remember that something you may consider as a very small deed might mean a lot to someone who needed that boost—even if it is just a warm smile.

What are the qualifications for being kind?

Good news! Kindness has no requirements at all, including age. You do not have to have a degree in kindness or have unlimited resources to be kind. It is simply being friendly, generous, considerate and putting that concern for others into action.

It can also improve your health! Did you know that engaging in acts of kindness benefits not only the person who receives, but also the giver? Researchers have found that helping others actually reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and decreases anxiety. The by-product of improving the day of another can also make yours better!

As you start this New Year, please consider one of your resolutions to show more kindness in 2017. You may find how simple it can be. You can find some examples to spark the kindness in yourself and others here.

Hopefully, it will also have a ripple effect on others to follow your example!

So go ahead, make someone’s day!