Heart pounding, palms sweating, mind racing at a million miles per second; George Mason seniors know this feeling all too well. Logging onto email accounts and checking the mailbox frantically everyday are common signs of college acceptance anxiety, present especially in these next few months.
However, students who applied early decision or early action found out mid-December, meaning senioritis kicked in before many seniors even began stressing over college acceptances. And if you are lucky enough to be a star athlete, your college decision could have been made as early as the end of junior year. From personal experience, I can attest that yes, the waiting time is just as horrible as everyone makes it sound. The month before that acceptance or rejection letter was to arrive, paranoia kicked in and I began coming up with other options for next year if I got that envelope with “rejected, you suck” in big red letters. Maybe I could work at McDonalds? Or take a year off, just to chill at home? I had days where I would feel very relaxed and certain that I would make it into my top choice; of course I wouldn’t let anyone know about these thoughts because I didn’t want to jinx myself. Mostly, though, I suffered through the bad days of “What if I don’t get in??? My life will be over!!”
Just like anticipating the college decisions is as horrible as everyone says it is, senioritis is just as great, or even better, than what all seniors make it out to be. The day before a big test, most juniors and underclassmen would be cramming and freaking out; but as a senior, you have the perk of not caring and leaving grades up to a little thing called fate. Senior year also gives students open campus passes and a free pass out of any class via the form for 18 year old students to sign themselves out. Teachers are also more lenient, factoring in students’ stress over completing numerous college apps and essays; this is where whining about not having enough time to complete an assignment works like magic.
For those students still waiting to hear back from colleges, the wait is almost over, so keep faking those distraught puppy-dog faces in front of teachers while you can get away with it. As college acceptances arrive in the mailbox, post your senior picture along with your college logo on the college map outside of the library. There really is no better feeling than knowing that you are on your way to a new step in life to get experience in the real world, leaving the high school drama and immaturity behind.
-Giulia Hjort, senior
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