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Hi guys! The first few weeks of school have come and gone and everyone is settling down into routine. Unless of course, you are busy applying for colleges. I know quite a few seniors who are constantly filling out papers, writing essays, and requesting transcripts. You could definitely have included me among those people until yesterday when I received my first acceptance letter! For those of you, like me, who aren’t so busy with the applying anymore, I want you to remember that you aren’t done with this college thing yet. Not even close. If you applied to a few colleges, it’s time to start thinking about financial aid and scholarships. Especially scholarships. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when applying to scholarships is that you have to apply to 1000 to get 1. There are thousands of other kids just like you looking to make their college experience cheaper, so you really need to apply yourself in your scholarship applications. The most important part of the scholarship application is the essay. The essay is the deciding factor for most scholarship competitions, and therefore you really need to put your best foot forward while writing it. Let the reader know you. The more clever or well-thought out, the better. It is really important to remember that the judge will be reading THOUSANDS of essays, so making yours stand out by taking a different approach could definitely be beneficial. And always remember that your English teacher is probably glad to help you out if you ask!
On a separate train of thought, have you ever gone a day without looking in a mirror? It’s a fascinating experience. Last Friday, after being out late for a performance of Grease, I woke up, put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and went to school. I never once looked in a mirror. Although this realization horrified me when I woke up enough to realize it, I recognized how interesting this experience could be. All day long I waited for someone to say something, for someone to laugh at me, for someone to ignore me. However, I was surprised when no one said a word. I went an entire day without make-up or styled hair, and everyone treated me exactly the same as every other day. This could mean two things. The first, that I look bad every day. Secondly, and hopefully the more true, that appearances are not nearly as important as you think they are if you treat people with respect and kindness. If you surround yourself with real and true friends, they really like you for you, not your personality. If you choose good, loving people to be with, then it doesn’t matter. Also, you have to remember to be a friendly person, too. People are more forgiving of the little things if you are optimistic and kind, believe it or not. If you go a day without a mirror, your friends can act as true mirrors. Mirrors that reflect your inner self, not what you look like. I really suggest trying this experiment if you’re in the daring mood, otherwise, I guess this was just some food for thought.
I guess that’s it for today. I am really looking forward to maybe getting some feedback from some readers! Thanks everyone for reading, and remember the wise words of Albus Dumbledore, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Bye!
