"Let Go" by Sophia J

     As we are nearing the end of our senior year, I am remembering the times where we all felt
insane amounts of stress. At this point, we can look back and be relieved that those times are
over, but I remember the feelings of anxiety that would flood through my body anytime I got a
new AP score or when I started filling out college applications. I remember one day in particular.
It was the day the AP test scores would be sent out to everyone. I was up extra early that day
talking to my boyfriend Vivek on the phone at 6am about my AP scores, going to college, and
overall just what the future holds. Vivek was trying to assure me that everything was going to be
okay and to just stay positive, but all I wanted to hear were my scores. Eventually they came in
and mine turned out to be the lowest out of my entire bio class. I sat and cried for a while until I
actually looked at the situation. Ever since I was a freshman, all I wanted was to get a great
GPA, get accepted into a top school, and be successful. The only things on my mind were to get
a great SAT score and high grades in all my honors and AP classes, but all I had done was drag
myself into a deep hole and I spent my entire junior year depressed. I set very unrealistic
expectations for myself and when I didn’t achieve them, I became upset and let my emotions
get the best of me. There are times in life where you may not fulfill the goals you set for yourself
but the way you handle it determines your future. One of the worst things I did in high school
was compare myself to everyone who was close to me in regards to academics, personality,
and lifestyles choices. By comparing myself to others, I began to put myself down for not being
like everyone else therefore hurting me in the process. Almost one year later as we are all
undergoing this college process and anticipating college admission letters from many of our
dream schools, the only advice I can give to you all is to let life take its course. You will get into
the school you were meant to go to and everything will be ok. Don't take a rejection from a
school and use that as an inward reflection of who you are. I’m sure that we all have our dream
schools, and some of us are not going to get into those schools and that is fine. The rest of the
world survives no matter what school they end up going to! It is up to YOU to work hard
wherever you go and take the best education from the classes you choose to attend.
There may be times where you worked hard and other times where you slacked off, but that's
okay because it's all done now; you learned from it and it is time to move on. Be the best
version of yourself anywhere you go, and work towards your goals everyday. All throughout high
school I’ve seen my fellow peers work extremely hard just to get accepted into college and the
only conversations we have had were about school and the countless hours they spent doing
extracurricular activities. Those things are definitely important, but are you truly happy? With two
months left until graduation, our high school experience is almost over. I hope you all make the
most of your time here and carry these experiences with you to college.Academics are definitely
a huge part of our lives and is needed in order for us to succeed but we all need to take time to
breathe and enjoy life as well. Don't be discouraged because you didn't get an A on an exam, or
that you didn't end up getting summa cum Laude out of our whole senior class. And once you
get into college just remember that now you're competing against thousands of students from all
different parts of the world and they all have their own goals and dreams. There's absolutely no
room for comparison because you are your own person with your own individual capabilities. So
I'm not saying don't strive to be on top, but keep in mind that failure comes along with it. But I
can gladly say that a year ago I was nowhere close to the person I am today and I've never
been happier. I have an amazing boyfriend, family and friends who support me so much and I
know all that I've gone through is part of the process. Maybe you haven't experienced failure
yet, but keep in mind that everything in life doesn't come easy. You may think you have it all
figured out, but you'll be surprised to see how much will change in four years. So keep an open
mind, strive to be the best you can be, and just be happy because at the end of the day no
matter what college you attended, or what job you have, you're still amazing and capable of
anything you put your mind to.