Humor and Perspective
Okay, okay. We know- the college search and application process is really, really, really stressful. This seems like an undeniable truth- like the sky is blue, weather in New England is ludicrously changeable, and the Celtics will be a rollercoaster ride until the bitter end. We respectfully disagree, (well, maybe not about the Celtics), and want you (and your parents!) to know that it doesn’t have to be this awful process everyone (and their lovely aunt) predicts for you. Sure, there will be moments of stress- those are just a part of life. But the overall experience doesn’t have to be ulcer-inducing. It shouldn’t make you want to hide under your covers eating cheetos and watching the squirrel ninja video on YouTube.
In our early meetings with our clients and their families, we talk a lot about how to minimize and manage stress. We start by taking what feels like a huge and overwhelming process and breaking it down into manageable (and achievable!) pieces. We emphasize that we’ll have fun working through these pieces by starting with getting to know you and building a fantastic college list to explore. Inevitably, parents ask what they can do to help with the stress. There are some easy answers like carving out nights when college talk is completely forbidden, running interference when well-meaning family members start to express lots of opinions, and completing all the parent paperwork on time. In fact, we have a lot of great advice and we’ll save some of it for another time. Instead we want to focus on two of the most important things we can all do: keep perspective and have a sense of humor.
There’s no doubt, choosing a college is a big and important decision. But is it the most important decision you’ll ever make? Probably not. Your future holds so much, how could it be?!
You know that you want to attend a college where you will be engaged in amazing academics and participate in extracurricular activities that light you up and introduce you to cool and interesting people. Simply put, you want to thrive. It is all too easy to fall in love with one school and become convinced it’s the only place you could possibly spend four years. But the truth is that we are fortunate to live in a country with an abundance of colleges (nearly 4000!). More than a few of those 4000 schools will offer you everything you want.
This is where perspective comes in: yep, it’s a big decision. It’s not, though, the biggest. It’s not irrevocable and permanent (33% of college students transfer to another school). And it’s not only about the end result. It’s about the journey- all the ways you’ll get to know yourself and learn to thrive.
Besides keeping perspective, it’s a pretty universal truth that anything in life is better with a sense of humor, maybe especially the stressful things. Taking time to laugh with friends and parents about the absurdity of the headlines around college selectivity can be a great stress relief. Remembering to laugh at yourself when you realize you’ve written the opening sentence to your personal statement nine different ways all saying the same thing is a great way to diffuse stress. In the end, this should be a fun process. You get to be Marco Polo, discovering hidden things about yourself (“I always thought I wanted a huge campus, but I realize I’ll thrive better at a school where my professors know my first name); exploring some amazing colleges (“That class on the intersection of politics and popular culture sounds amazing”) and campuses (“That is literally the most beautiful campus on earth!); and ultimately building a list of schools where you’ll grow into the next evolution of yourself.
At May First, we love to laugh and we love to build amazing college lists for our clients and help them create authentic, thoughtful, and dynamic applications. If you’re a rising sophomore or junior, give us a call at 617.447.0186 or send an email to info@mayfirst.com and let’s get started.
