More College Thoughts....

Thoughts on college:
It's amazing how much my mindset has changed since I began this whole application process. I wish I would have been where I am now mentally when I started applying to colleges. I think I would have been a lot smarter and a lot more successful. I'll see in April, though. I was talking to a peer the other day and he said to me "The stuff you've done during high school doesn't make any college need you. And you need to prove to colleges that they need you as a student." This may be very true. He's probably very right and he will probably be more successful than I in the search for colleges. But what struck me was not the truth of it, but how much my mindset strayed from the truth. I haven't shown extreme commitment or focus in any one area; I haven't won any huge awards or done anything remarkable that makes me stand out. But, I don't feel bad about that. I don't regret it. Colleges may not look favorably upon it, but I don't care. You know why? Because I have LIVED during high school. I've done a shitload of extracurriculars; there is no denying that. Sure, I switched around and quit some things. But that's because I was experimenting and finding my passion. I see so many kids who have done all these extra curricular activities all four years and have a focused, comprehensive resume. But that's not me. I've tried it all. I've danced seriously, but I've also taken piano lessons for a while. I've been a cheerleader, but I've also volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club. I did debate, then realized I didn't like it. I did Model UN, but it wasn't for me. I tried getting in to politics, but that's not where my passion lay. I've experienced so much, from Girl Scouts to Student Council to band, and I think that crazy amount of exposure makes me a better and more prepared person for the future. So what if I haven't won any awards now? I'm in high school, still figuring out who I am. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to pursue finding myself above all else, even if it means that on paper I seem less qualified than another student. I know, though, when I head off to college, I'll be more comfortable with myself than half the students there. I pride myself on knowing who I am inside, and out, and I think that is the most important thing I could take out of these last four years.

Secondly, still on the topic of me not being prepared for college and not regretting it: it's not all about the extracurriculars and academics. Some of my friends who are most qualified for college acceptances have lived the least. I think every person applying to colleges should have had most of the following quintessential high school experiences:
1) go to a party
2) hook up with a boy (or a girl)
3) date a boy (or a girl)
4) get your driver's license
5) stay out all night
6) go to a school sports game dressed ridiculously, and cheer until hoarse
7) take a roadtrip, even to a nearby town, with your friends
8) do something worth getting grounded for (not lame like talking back)
9) have a job for more than a month
10) sneak out
11) stay up all night studying or doing your homework after procrastinating
12) go to a midnight movie premiere with your friends
13) have a Valentine
14) go to some kind of summer camp where you don't know anyone
15) get drunk
16) smoke weed
17) go skinny dipping (or do something comparable naked)
18) experiment sexually with someone of the same sex
19) have a real best friend
20) lose your virginity
21) skip class. and not just one class. try to skip all of your classes at least once

Now, that's just my opinion. Many people will disagree with many of these things, but that's okay. These were things that, to me, seem important experiences to have. Personally, I have experienced all but two of them (anyone close to me knows what they are), and I find myself so much mature because of it. I think the key to enjoying life is to experience as much as you can, even if you only do these things once and then never again.