School

How to Select Your Class Schedule for Next Year

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

It’s that time of year again- second semester is flying by, the longing for spring break and eventually summer intensifies, and registration for next year’s classes is upon us. For some of you, it may have even happened already, but for me it’s in the next couple weeks. If you’ve been conflicted and aren’t sure on how to choose your classes for next year, you’re in the right place! Keep on reading to hear my tips. A quick disclaimer beforehand- different things work for different people, so don’t be pressured into taking classes that might not be the best for you. Think of your mental health and don’t bite off more than you can chew, but also make sure that you will still be challenged.

  1. Make sure you have your core four/five subjects. This is English, history, foreign language, math, and science. If you were ahead in one or more of these subjects and have aged out of the sequence at your school, make sure you have other classes to take, whether electives or doubling up in another subject. You could also take dual enrollment classes at a local community college or through your school if that’s offered, or do a class online if necessary.
  2. Consider the level of classes. Whether it’s CP, Honors, AP, or IB, consider how much of a workload you’re willing to take on. This might depend on what activities you’re involved in, and how you did in this/last year’s classes. If you’re having trouble deciding what level of certain classes to take, ask your counselor and/or parents for advice. If you’re up to take 5+ APs and have your heart set on competitive colleges, go for it! Just keep in mind what that workload will look like.
  3. Make sure you like your electives. There are soooo many options at my school that it’s overwhelming to choose- if you’re in the same boat, make the most of this! If you need/want a GPA boost, choose an honors elective. If you’re into the arts, take an art class. Take advantage of the options available to you- it’ll be fun and feel less like another class full of work.
  4. Check that you’re fulfilling graduation requirements and A-G requirements if you plan to apply to UC schools. Since I live in California, my high school basically makes us fulfill the A-G requirements to graduate, but I know that out-of-staters might not be aware of this. You can easily look them up or ask your counselor, but they might be different than your normal graduation requirements. Either way, make sure your schedule is putting you on track to graduate on time.
  5. If you’re leaning towards a certain career path, check that your classes align with that as much as possible. For example, my school has a really cool cadaver-based advanced anatomy class that you have to apply to get into, so people who are interested in going into the medical field are encouraged to try and get into that class senior year. In general, my class has a lot more STEM/science class options whereas other subjects have a set class you take each year, so people interested in STEM often double up on science classes junior/senior year to take advantage of this. Since I’m not super interested in STEM, I have less options and am not interested in taking all the science classes available, so it all depends.
  6. Have an idea of what you’ll take the year after next, if possible. Is the class schedule you’re choosing for next year going to set you up to take classes you want the year after that? This is a huge thing to think about if you’re going into junior year like me, since not only are your junior year classes super important, but your senior year classes are as well. Therefore, you’re setting a trajectory for the rest of high school.
  7. Consider getting ahead in certain subjects/self-studying/taking online classes if you don’t have room in your schedule for everything you want. There are many different reasons you might consider doing each of these things. If you want to finish your foreign language credit faster, consider taking the last year online. If you want more college credits or your school doesn’t offer a lot of AP classes, consider self-studying for a subject you’re interested in, or taking an AP class online. If you’re looking for a GPA boost or to take an AP class that will be slightly easier, take one of the APs with a reputation of being “easier” online, such as AP Psych or AP Environmental Science.

I hope these tips help you create the perfect class schedule for the upcoming school year. I know it’s intimidating to think about the possible impact of your choices on college and the future in general, but you can always request a schedule change/change your mind. Trust me, I’m definitely freaking out too thinking about how I’m going to be a junior, but it’s also exciting! Also, as soon as you make your class choices, it’s actually a relief since the decision is behind you and you no longer have to worry, as it is what is and we’re moving closer to a new year.

Brooke

How to Succeed in an AP History Class

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

If you’ve been struggling in an AP history class this year or are currently deciding whether to take one in your class schedule next year, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to be providing a few tips that have helped me get through AP European History this year and AP Human Geography (I know it’s not really a core AP history class, but it fits more into the history category than anything else) last year. Each AP class is a different level of difficulty at every school, but at may school the history APs are definitely some of the hardest/most complained about, so keep that in mind and keep on reading if you want to hear my tips!

  • Understanding the writing format is key. My AP Human Geography teacher was super clear with us on how to write an FRQ from the get-go, and we did two as a part of every unit test. In AP Euro, writing has been a lot less clear; we didn’t fully go over LEQs, DBQs, and SAQs until the start of second semester. Practice using old AP test questions found on the College Board website, and study the rubrics. It’s easier if you do this towards the beginning of the year, but it’s possible to cram and sort of fake your way through as long as you know the actual historical information.
  • Do the reading. Depending on the way your class is structured, this may be less useful, but for me it’s a great way to refresh on the information. You have a textbook for a reason, and it’s also helpful in cramming for the AP test if you want a slightly more in-depth review of everything.
  • Get a prep book at the beginning of the year. If you’re ever confused on a certain historical event or concept, or you’re just unsure how well-versed you need to be in it for the AP test, you can always refer to a prep book to explain it in simpler terms/a condensed format. I’m partial to The Princeton Review books because I love that they include practice tests, but I’ve heard the AMSCO prep books are really good for the history APs- my Euro teacher has a set and I’ve looked over them from time to time.
  • Take detailed notes, and revise them later. This is another thing that’s helped me a lot. My Euro teacher has structured the class so our main way of learning is his lectures where we take notes- I try to write down basically every fact or detail he says, but then I make my own typed notes for each unit as a study guide for the test, only including key events and people with a timeline. In the end, you have a neat version of your notes, and you’ve already reviewed the information.
  • Use your resources! This is key for any AP class, but I think there’s often a lot more resources and opportunities for the history classes. Watch Crash Course videos on YouTube/any review videos, find Quizlets that review key terms, and ask older friends how they succeeded in your particular class, since every teacher/class is slightly different. For example, my teacher offers 5 points of extra credit each unit if we make flashcards for around 50 key terms from the unit- it’s a ton of work, but I do it since the extra credit builds up and it’s another way to study.
  • Make the connections. As I’ve learned, pretty much every concept and event can be connected to others, especially because of the cause and effect relationships that occur in history. Remember that you can’t forget the earlier dates/events, but try to break things up into more general/larger categories and the major things to make it more manageable.
  • Practice, practice, practice! I mentioned this in my How To Get a 5 On AP Human Geography post (go check it out if you haven’t!), but it’s honestly the best way to do well. Even if you haven’t been doing well in the class at school, you can still turn things around and do well on the AP test if you put the work in. For me, practice tests were the most helpful.

I hope these tips help you finish the semester strong in whatever history class you’re in, and do well on the corresponding AP test! History is one of my favorite subjects, but I’ve definitely still had my struggles with keeping up with the workload of AP Euro this year. Let me know what history class you’re currently in, and what history you’ll be taking next year (APUSH for me :))!

Brooke

How to Get a 5 on AP Human Geography

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I literally have had this post idea in my drafts since the beginning of August/the end of summer, and crazy enough, it’s finally about time to break it out! My AP Euro teacher has a countdown of days until our AP test, and when the countdown got to under 70 days last week, I figured it was a good time to get back to this post. Last year I took the AP Human Geography test and was lucky enough to get a 5 on it, so even though I’m not a total expert, I feel qualified enough to give you some tips.

  • Get a review book! I got The Princeton Review one because I liked that it had practice tests and I feel like that’s all you really need. If you don’t want to spend the money, ask your teacher if they have any you can borrow or ask people who have taken the test in the past if they have old ones they don’t want anymore. I also heard the Barrons review book is good for APHUG, but I didn’t personally use it.
  • Know the models. I feel like this is a crucial component of the class, and the models often come up on the FRQ questions. Funnily enough, the models didn’t come up too much on the version of the test I took last year, but any teacher will tell you it’s still essential to know them.
  • Don’t get intimidated by trick questions. At my school, APHUG was the only AP class freshmen could take so it’s most people’s first AP test, and everyone kind of freaks out. If it’s your first AP test too, don’t get thrown off by the trick questions that they try and give you. It might seem like something you don’t understand how to answer or something that’s impossible, but it’s all about applying the concepts you do know to these tricky questions.
  • Take practice tests! I feel like this helps for any AP class or standardized test. This is what I believe really prepared me for the test most, as practice tests help me a lot in general. If you get the Princeton Review book there should be two in there, and you can find more online from various sources as well as practice FRQs on the College Board website from all previous years of the test.
  • Watch YouTube videos for review. Not only can you find helpful videos of review concepts, you can also find other videos giving tips for the test. I remember Study for Success’s video on how to get a 5 on APHUG was really helpful and she had links to a website that had a lot of resources specifically for APHUG, so go check that out if you’re interested.
  • Don’t cram the night before. At that point, you’re not going to retain the information. If there’s a couple things you want to review or you just want to take one more practice test that’s fine, but don’t try to pull an all-nighter for the sake of cramming. I promise if you’ve already studied, you will be fine.
  • Work on your pacing. Again, this mainly applies if it’s your first standardized test/AP test, but it’s important to know your pacing! Be aware of how much time you have for the multiple choice section and the FRQs, and remember that guessing is better than leaving something blank- do not leave anything blank if possible!!
  • Use the identify, explain, example format for the FRQs. My teacher taught us this starting in the beginning of the year. Basically, when you’re answering each part of the question, identify your main answer/reason, then explain it, and give an example/connect it to something in real life or a specific country and situation that you know relates to the topic.

This was off the top of my head so I easily could’ve forgotten some things- I will definitely go back and do another tips post as the test inches closer. Definitely start studying in advance, but don’t worry too much. APHUG is famous for being one of the easier AP tests since it’s relatively common knowledge/understandable topics being tested and a lot of underclassmen take it. I definitely didn’t expect to get a 5 even though I was really hoping for one, and I believe that you can all get a 5 as well. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Brooke

Why Your Attitude in School Matters

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

As we’re getting deeper into the new semester, I figured it was time for another school-related post. I’ve talked a little bit about having a positive attitude towards school and learning in general before, but never in detail or as an isolated post topic. I’ve tried to be really positive going into this semester, and I would definitely say it’s paid off so far. If you want to know how changing your attitude can make all the difference in your classes, keep on reading.

First of all, I want to make a reference to the Law of Attraction since it can easily explain why a shift in attitude regarding any topic can completely change that area of your life. If you’re giving out positive ideas and energy, the universe will reflect that in the energy you receive and the events that occur in your life. If you want to know more about the Law of Attraction, watch the documentary The Secret on Netflix, or look it up on YouTube to see people’s simpler explanations of it. If you’re aware of the Law of Attraction, I highly recommend you try your best to utilize it, especially in the area of schoolwork. It completely changes your perspective on everything if you make it work.

If you shift your attitude towards learning to be more positive, your classes will usually become so much more interesting! You’ll find learning new things exciting, and you will be grateful for the educational opportunities you have at school. If you focus on the stress and workload of school, it will never seem fun; think of the reasoning behind why we go to school. You’re gaining valuable knowledge, eventually going to graduate and go to college/out into the world if you’re already in college, and do exciting things using that knowledge you now have.

I’ve always been a super curious person who loves to learn about all sorts of things. It amazes me how many different subjects there are in the world that are interesting, and there’s so much to learn about each one (and so many levels of deeper understanding and detail). I like to think of myself as a sponge at school, trying to absorb everything so I can learn even more things in the future- I also think of high school as a stepping stone to my future. I’ve been excited for college since forever (and I’ll probably go to some form of grad school) and high school is a major stepping stone to get into college.

Thinking positive doesn’t just alter your mood while at school- it can also make an impact on your grades and other results. If you’re excited about the content you’re learning in class and being an active participant, you’re more likely to remember the content and be motivated to study it so you can do well. It’s a lot easier to learn when you’re immersing yourself in the knowledge and genuinely trying your best to be interested in it. Tests and other assignments will still be stressful, but looking at them as a chance to test your knowledge and prove to yourself that you’ve been working hard helps a little. You have to want to do well and put the work in, but once you do, there’s no stopping you with the right attitude!

I think being positive also helps a lot when you’re studying. If you’re trying to cram and getting discouraged because you feel like you don’t know anything and you’re going to fail, your mental state will only get worse and you probably won’t do too well. If you remain calm, tell yourself you know this stuff, and study effectively with a clear head, it’ll be much easier to remember the material on test day. Remember mind over matter- it actually does make a huge difference. When you’re well-rested and feeling good going into a test, you’re less likely to blank or make stupid mistakes.

I hope this post inspires you to shift the way you talk about and approach school and learning in a school setting. Let me know if it ends up making a difference- I’ll continue updating you guys on my journey with positivity 🙂

Brooke

My 1st Time Performing in A School Rally

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while since I posted some good ol’ ~high school lifestyle~ content besides the academic/educational stuff, so I figured I would talk about something exciting that happened recently: my first (and most likely last) performance in a school rally! Normally, only the varsity cheer team performs at rallies and I’m on JV, but for this last rally of the cheer season, all cheerleaders got to be in it. I will not be including pictures from the rally just for privacy and identification purposes of my school, but I’ll be walking through my whole experience.

I was only in the dance section of the routine, not the stunts, so it honestly wasn’t as stressful as I worried it would be. I personally don’t like performing in front of our school- usually at games we don’t have that big of a crowd, but pretty much everyone attends rallies, so it’s kind of intense. I was nervous, but I knew my part and it was short enough that I wasn’t too stressed about forgetting the dance. We’d had about 12 hours of practice put into forming the rally routine, so I think everyone was ready to perform it and have the buildup to performing be over with.

The past couple weeks had honestly been really dramatic with practice. We had cheer everyday after school between the rally practices and basketball games. Lots of people got taken out of the rally routine for missing a practice, and lots of others (including me) only got to be put in one or two sections of the routine. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing I only got to be in one part, but also happy that I got put in at all.

The rally was on Monday, so there was a runthrough Sunday afternoon in the gym. I wasn’t the happiest about having to drive to school on a Sunday, but it didn’t take too long and it felt good to have a dress rehearsal-type situation. Actually rally days are a lot more hectic- I had to miss my entire fourth period (the class period before the rally) to come to the gym early and practice again, and we got to wear our cheer uniforms all day (rally tradition). Normally, the only thing the JV and freshman cheer teams do at rallies is sit together in the front and lead our class in a chant with a cheer and some stunts. There was definitely a lot riding on this routine since our coaches were super proud of the choreography and expecting us to hit it.

I’m happy to say it went well, and I’m glad I got to be in a rally routine at least once. If you’re new to blog, I’ve talked multiple times about my love-hate relationship with high school cheer and how I’m pretty much positive this will be my last season doing it, so I’ll never get the full varsity experience and therefore won’t perform in anymore rallies. I mean, I’ll never say never since there’s lots of other things you could perform in a rally for, but as far as cheer, it was a good first and last performance. I’m not going to lie- I won’t miss freezing my butt off in the uniform all day at school.

I know this was a short post and I didn’t get to go super into detail about anything, but I wanted to throw it out there since I was proud of myself for having a cool experience. Let me know if you guys have any questions- what are rallies at your school like?

Brooke

Sophomore Year – 1st Semester Reflection

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

First semester of this school year is officially over, meaning I am halfway done with my sophomore year. I think it’s always nice to have some self-reflection, especially documented in some way so you can look back on it again in the future. I decided I would post it on here because it may help some of you guys out or inspire you to do some self-reflection of your own. It sure has been a crazy past few months, and summer feels like it was eons ago.

I came into sophomore year trying to not have expectations, but I definitely had a few. I didn’t think it would be that much harder than freshman year (wrong-ish), I thought it would be a lot better than freshman year (true-ish), and I thought I would feel soooo much older since I wasn’t a freshman anymore (COMPLETELY wrong). Don’t worry, I’ll explain the reality of all these expectations. It hasn’t exactly been harder than freshman year, but it’s been a lot more work. I have a lot more homework, tests are more frequent, and there’s just more information being covered so it tends to move faster. Once I adapted my schedule and work habits, I was doing fine again- that being said, I’m always stressed and always have been.

I thought this year would be so much better than the last- that I would find my place within the school, spend more time with friends, get more involved and start up all these new activities, etc. In a way all these things happened and I definitely made a lot more progress with my goals than I did in freshman year due to being a bit more comfortable with myself, but I still left a lot to be desired. I’ve definitely been (and still am) overscheduled because of my ridiculous cheer schedule, so cheer prevented me from having free time to get everything done as well as doing other activities during a lot of this semester. Once cheer season is over (mid-February), I’ll have a lot more free time and I can re-evaluate my commitments from there.

Lastly, I definitely don’t feel older than I did last year. I think part of it is because I’m young for my grade so a lot of my friends are currently getting their licenses while I’m just starting driver’s ed right now to get my permit, so I have a lot less freedom than most people in my grade. The freshmen this year seem just as old (or older than) as me- probably because a lot of them are. I can’t believe I’m going to be driving soon, but I also can since a lot of my friends already have their licenses and cars and jobs that they drive themselves too; it’s weird how different their lifestyle at the moment is from mine.

Going back to my academic performance, I’m very proud of how I did this semester. I was able to end with straight As in my classes again, and I definitely put in the work to get them. I didn’t accomplish as much in the extracurricular department this semester, but I have been spreading myself a little thin mainly because of cheer, and I’ve gotten off to a good start of trying new things with Youth and Government. I hope to branch out and get involved in more things this semester, but it will probably end up happening next year since most things can’t really be joined mid-year (depends on the opportunity).

I improved my writing a lot this semester, which is another thing I’m really proud of. I think it’s just because of getting in more practice and constantly brainstorming- I’ve found my creative juices have really been flowing lately. That’s why it’s been frustrating to barely have any free time; I have so many ideas and I want to execute them as soon as possible. I’ve written a lot of poetry and read a lot more poetry. I hadn’t read that much poetry before, and I’m so happy I decided to try and read some of the classics/well-known poets’ work.

This blog has grown a lot this semester. I know it’s still relatively small, but I found that I’ve gotten a lot more likes and views from new viewers lately, so my posts are slowly trickling out to more people. I appreciate all of you so much for sticking with me through my adventures and my inability to pick one topic to blog about. As always, I’m open to suggestions since I love to cover different points of discussion, so please let me know if there’s something you would like to see me post about on here.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about my personal growth and relationships with people. I’ve made an effort to be friendlier and kinder to people who I cross paths with, and I think it’s paid off a lot. I’ve made lots of new friends in classes and Youth and Government among other things in my life. As far as myself, I struggled with my self-esteem since I didn’t have as much self-care time for myself and I was constantly over-scheduled and overwhelmed, but I think towards the end of the semester I was balancing things a lot better. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’m working on balancing school with my social life more evenly now.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about how the past few months have been going for me in all the main aspects of life. I would love to hear about how your semester has been- we’re all in this together. Here’s to a new semester and a fresh start!

Brooke

How to Find & Apply To Summer Programs

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

If you’re been reading my blog for a while, you’d know that I’ve been trying to figure out my summer plans and apply for some summer programs related to things I’m interested in. I’m mainly focused on finding a cool program for creative writing (let me know if you want a list because I’ve found sooo many from searching), but there’s tons of programs for pretty much every interest and extracurricular out there. It’s pretty overwhelming, which is why I’m still having indecisive troubles figuring out which ones to ultimately apply to. If you’re interested in finding out more about how to seek these programs out and apply, keep on reading.

  • Figure out what you would want to pursue at a program – What are you most interested at the moment? A program is only worth it if you know you’ll really enjoy it, learn from it, and get a lot out of it. If you have a main hobby (a sport, art/music, etc.) or a favorite subject, think about taking that to the next level by going to a summer program where you can spend a week or a few weeks really diving into that interest.
  • Do detailed research and compile a master list – I would start by just looking up “summer program for high schoolers” and your topic of interest. There are detailed lists on websites like College Confidential and the Applying to College thread on Reddit, if you want a wider range of topics to start out looking at. Don’t be sucked in by super expensive pre-college programs- it’s probably not worth it unless you’re genuinely interested and have the (significant amount of) money to spare. Cheaper/free programs are better in most cases, and you will come across them with more research- lesser known/smaller local programs are great too if they fit your interest!
  • Filter out programs by price, location, length, age eligibility, etc. – This is the most important step. Depending on how long you want to be gone, how much money you’re willing to spend, and what grade you’re in, it can narrow down a lot of possibilities. I would form a list of criteria before you start thinking about actually applying anywhere- it will make it a lot easier to narrow it down to only a few programs of interest.
  • Do more detailed research to see what the best fit would be – Once you’ve narrowed it down, now see what actually sounds the most fun and best for you. If there’s impressive advisers/staff/teachers/etc. or it’s in a location you’d like to visit, those are pluses! It’s kind of like a mini-college search- sift through to find what actually sounds most fun to you.
  • Work on essays/questionnaires over time – I think it’s important to start early since you don’t want to stress yourself out over an application for a program that’s supposed to be fun. The bulk of most applications besides a transcript and recommendations is probably essays or other supplements, so start these in advance.
  • Ask a teacher related to the subject or one you know best for a recommendation – Most programs will require recommendations, so make sure you’re prepared to ask for one in advance. If the program is geared towards a specific academic subject, try to ask a teacher in that subject or field. If it doesn’t really matter, I would just ask any teacher/mentor that knows you really well.
  • Hope for the best! – A summer program is definitely not a make or break of having a good summer or a productive activity. It can be a nice way to get out of your comfort zone, but there are plenty more local things you can do that are just as impressive and exciting. That being said, if you apply, I hope you get in!

I hope this gave you a little more insight on what goes into finding the right summer program for you. I’ve done a lot of research on this so if you need any pointers on where to look or what programs might go with your interest, let me know! I’d be happy to point you in the right direction if I can. Also, I am by no means an expert on this- it’s just something I’ve been interested in myself. I’m hoping to attend a writing program this summer, but I have no clue if it will end up working out. Of course, I’ll keep you posted 🙂

Brooke

A Love Letter to My High School & Teachers (so far!)

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I am going to be giving credit where credit is due; this year so far and all of last year, I have had the most amazing teachers. I’d always had fairly good experiences with my teachers in my schooling experience, but I’ve been introduced to some of the smartest, funniest, and overall best teachers I’ve ever had since starting high school. I could never be a teacher myself and I don’t think I would want to be, but I have such a special place in my heart for these wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to educating our country’s youth. If you’re interested in my perspective on this topic or what I would like to say about my teachers, keep reading!

To all my teachers I’ve had in high school thus far,

Thank you so much for your service. Thank you for coming to school everyday just like us, and making an effort to entertain us, and to make the lessons more interesting. Thank you for not giving up when half of the class isn’t listening, or when our grades don’t reflect the work you’ve put into teaching us. Thank you for making us learn, if not from the physical work, but from the life lessons and other skills we gain from listening to you and communicating with you.

I can’t imagine doing your job. You work so hard, and I want you to know that even though we may not show it all the time, your students appreciate you a lot. We know you’re just as tired and worn down as we are by the end of a semester, and we know we give you a hard time- we’re working on it. We don’t want to disappoint you, and we feel bad when we do. Sometimes, I don’t think you realize how much. Also, know that we appreciate your efforts to make class fun. It doesn’t go unnoticed- I’d much rather listen to interesting stories and have a variety of lesson plans than do the same thing in class everyday.

Thank you for empathizing with us. I know you were once in our position, and it means a lot when you try to make things easier for us or can at least crack some jokes to lighten the mood when everyone’s stressed about their grades. Thank you for understanding that the general attitude of dislike towards school isn’t a personal attack on you- all of you are fascinating and brilliant people that I would love to learn more from. Thank you for understanding that there’s more than one type of student. We all learn differently, some of us are quieter or louder, and that’s okay.

Thank you for being accessible. I feel comfortable asking you questions and I’m so thankful that you have made time in class and after-class or during lunch to answer them. You’ve made it easier and more comfortable to ask for help, which I’ve always had trouble mustering up the courage to do in the past. Thank you for understanding that we’re just high-schoolers, and can’t be perfect. At the same time, thank you for holding us to a high standard, and forcing us to rise to your expectations.

Overall, thank you for doing what you do and making school more enjoyable. Your classes are hard, but they are rewarding, and I’ve learned so much from you. I’ve fallen back in love with learning since entering high school, so thank you for bringing out a better side of me and my intellect.

Brooke

Should You Seek Private College Counseling?

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Last year around this time, I had a rude awakening to just how competitive college admissions is today. I’m currently a sophomore in high school, so I was only a freshman at the time this happened, but I started to panic- we had a little meeting with our school counselors to plan out our sophomore year classes and make sure we were on track for the future, and so many people were taking summer school and trying to get ahead and game the system. I didn’t even know there was a system, I thought it was just about doing well in the highest level classes available to you at grade level, and being decently well-rounded outside of school. I didn’t realize there was so much planning and outside factors going into crafting the perfect college application as soon as freshman year. Keep in mind, I go to a competitive public high school, so this may not be the same in your school or different areas; maybe it’s even more competitive, I know at private schools and prep schools it definitely is.

My school counselor wasn’t a huge help due to her having 600 kids to advise and it was difficult to get a 10-minute appointment even if you only had a very immediate concern like a schedule change, and I felt lost after trying to get advice on the Internet from websites like College Confidential. I wasn’t trying to focus my whole life around getting into college in a couple years; I just wanted to know if I was on the right track and what I would need to do to prepare myself. Therefore, I asked my parents if we could go to a consultation with a local college counselor. They reluctantly agreed and we went- it seemed like a good vibe, and I was desperate for answers so it was really helpful to get some. My parents were skeptical to commit to anything because of the fairly high price tag, but they agreed because it was a one-time fee for guidance the rest of my high school years. I feel somewhat guilty that they paid so much since there are good and free resources online, but it was what I needed for peace of mind at the time, and it has proved very helpful to get personalized recommendations and advice.

I apologize for the long-drawn context, but I feel it’s necessary. If you’re feeling helplessly confused like I was and are currently considering whether you should consult a professional, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to explain a few reasons why you should or should not hire a private college counselor based on your personal situation.

If these things apply to you, YES, you should:

  • You have the resources and time – I feel like this is one of the bigger things to consider. My parents were able to set up a payment plan so it wasn’t as much of a dent at once, and they felt better about it since I would be able to use the service from then until senior year. If you’re starting early, it can be more bang for your buck.
  • You’re an older sibling or only child – I’m personally the oldest sibling and the first one in my family to navigate this process. A lot of my friends are younger siblings and already knew so much about the process- some of their older siblings even had private counselors! They’ve also visited colleges with their older siblings, so they just overall are a lot more familiar with how everything goes.
  • Your parents have no clue about anything admissions-related – College admissions has changed a lot since our parents’ generation applied. My parents also both went to community colleges and transferred elsewhere, so they didn’t even ever go through the traditional college application process, only a transfer one. This led to a lot of frustration from me when they didn’t even believe me about how competitive it is to get in these days.
  • You’re not really sure what you want in a college, or what you want to study in college – I am super all-over-the-place in terms of interests and I don’t have a clear-cut path I plan on following in academics, extracurricular interests, or anything; I just know I like challenging myself and there’s a lot of things I’m interested in. And as far as the actual college search goes, I have no clue what I want either; I think I want a small or medium-size school and want to go far from home, but that’s pretty much it. It’s nice to have someone with a lot of knowledge on different people’s experiences and different schools to talk you through things.
  • You get along with the counselor and like them as a person – It’s so important to pick a counselor that you actually like if you’re going to be working with them throughout high school and paying them a lot of money. You’ll want to pick someone with good reviews online who knows their stuff, and seems like they really care about you.
  • You don’t have a strong relationship with your school counselor and/or another mentor who could help – I actually got a new school counselor this year and I really like her, but it’s still so hard to get appointments. Because there’s not a lot of individualized attention at my school, it just made more sense to seek it out for myself. I don’t have any other connections outside of school that would be able to give me advice when necessary, so I had to find my own.

If these things apply to you, NO, you shouldn’t:

  • It’s too much money and/or time – It’s definitely not worth it if you’d be struggling financially to pay for it. There are free resources online which I will write a post about soon, and your school counselor can help you. Similarly, if you’re a senior, it’s somewhat late in the game to take advantage of the full benefits- I would just go to someone who could read/edit/critique your application and essays if you’re a senior.
  • It seems like the counselor/service will require you to be unauthentic and/or unethical – Anyone who will encourage you to lie or cheat on your application is an automatic no. Even if they are suggesting that you do certain activities you’re not necessarily interested in, I would consider that unauthentic as well.
  • You already have a pretty good idea of what type of school/what school you want to go to and your interests for what to study there – A lot of the input a college counselor will give is related to narrowing down your options and figuring out what your actual plan is. If you already have a plan for yourself, they’re a lot less useful to you. For example, if you’ve decided you want to go to UCLA and major in biology because you love it, you don’t really need someone to tell you what else you should be doing. Yes, you might want someone to read over your applications and essays, but that can be done for cheaper come application time, and anything else you need to know can be found through online research.
  • You’re a younger sibling and/or have parents well-versed in college admissions – As I stated, a lot of my friends have already been through the process with their older siblings and have a pretty good idea of what they will need to do as well. In these cases, there’s not really a reason to ask for outside help when you can work closely with your family members and other personal connections.
  • You have a hands-on school counselor or other unpaid service/connection that can help you with these services – If your school fosters a more personalized connection between counselors and students, you may have never even needed to worry about seeking a counselor outside of school. Similarly, if you have a family member/friend/other connection who works in college admissions or has some other tie to the process, you could easily go to them for simple questions and such.

I hope this helped any of you out there who were having trouble deciding how to take action. Keep in mind this is just based off of my personal experiences, and your experience could be completely different depending on the services offered and the involvement of the program. Only do what you feel comfortable doing, and don’t feel pressured to use a private counselor at all! It can be a great resource and help you out, but it’s definitely not the end-all be-all or ultimate key to success. In a lot of ways, it’s more impressive if you can get through everything on your own 🙂

Brooke

How to Learn From Your Mistakes – High School Edition

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

I know we’re all still on break, but I figured before the new year and semester start, I would throw out some advice for you freshmen. Honestly, anyone in high school (or middle school!) could use this advice; I just figure that kids my age or older would already have learned similar lessons. If you’ve had a rough first semester or rough 2019, here’s some advice on how to use your past to enhance your future! Trust me, it’s not as hard or ~deep~ as it sounds.

  • Be able to recognize your flaws – Being aware of your mistakes is the first step to learning from them. Think about the past few months: what went well, and what could’ve gone better? Why did the things that went wrong occur? What part did you have in them? These are the questions you should reflect on when you’re thinking about what you can change in the future.
  • Take responsibility- don’t blame others – Others may have had a part in your mistakes or shortcomings, but you can only worry about yourself. Own up to anything you’ve done wrong, and leave anyone else to do the same for themselves.
  • Apologize when you’ve done wrong – This goes along with taking responsibility, but it’s so important to apologize to anyone you may have hurt or impacted negatively. It goes a long way in showing you understand how your actions affect others- mustering the courage up to do this shows a lot of maturity.
  • Accept others for who they are – A big mistake a lot of people make (I definitely have quite a few times) is trying to change their friends or complain about their flaws and then expecting them to change. Sometimes people do change, but you’re not the one who’s going to change them. If you’re going to surround yourself with people, make sure you know they’re people that will lift you up and make you happy to be around. If that’s not the case, find new friends- it’s up to you to make those choices.
  • Stay open-minded to change – Sometimes we look around at all the things we wish we could change about other people, but it’s completely out of our control. So what is in your control? Well, you! If you’re able to recognize your mistakes and flaws now, you should see the things that you wish you could change about yourself. It’s completely up to you to make an effort to change these things- nobody’s perfect, but you can try to be a better you.
  • Think about your good characteristics/strengths – What are the best things about you? Your favorite parts, and/or the characteristics other people compliment you? These are the traits you should try to bring out in yourself most often, and reflect in your everyday life. Again, nobody’s perfect, but it’s best to show off your best self.
  • Be as kind and friendly as possible – This isn’t really about learning from your mistakes, but it helps you put your best foot forward in new situations/when meeting new people and sets you up for better outcomes and relationships in the future. Also, people who may have known you in the past when you weren’t as proud of yourself can see that you’re making an effort to be a better you and change.
  • Understand that you’re going to make a lot more mistakes – Everyone does. As I’ve said multiple times, nobody’s perfect. This advice can help you prevent some silly mistakes, but everyone gets themselves in tough spots from time to time. Build your internal “toolkit” and problem-solving skills, and you’ll be just fine working yourself out of future issues.

I know some of this advice is pretty generic, but I think that’s kind of the point. We’re all getting older, and we have to actually apply the typical advice and wisdom adults have always given to us. I know I’ve matured a ton in the past couple years, and I’m still definitely not a perfect kid. That being said, let’s be our best selves in 2020 and make it an amazing year.

Brooke