December, Then and Now
It’s hard to believe that four years ago, I was a senior in high school. Now, as a senior in college, it feels like a lifetime ago, but also like it was just yesterday. I have been thinking a lot about my senior year of high school, in particular, I have been thinking about the month of December. December of my senior year was both an exciting and terrifying time. For me, December brought some of my first college acceptances, my first rejections, the stress of finals, the excitement of the holidays, and the reality that I only had a few months left of senior year. For some of you reading this, you are in the same boat as I was four years ago.
In December, I was sending out my final college applications, which was so exciting! I was able to turn mine in around the first of the month, which I highly recommend to those of you finishing up your applications. If you can't get them done that quickly, just aim to have them finished before the holidays. I cannot stress how nice it was not to have to worry about submitting applications during winter break.
For those of you who are receiving your first acceptances this month, congratulations! I vividly remember my first acceptance. It was such a relief to know that I would be going to college. Even if your first acceptance isn’t your first choice, still celebrate it! You worked incredibly hard and deserve to celebrate that win.
For those of you who might be receiving your first college rejection this month, that can be really hard. I also got my first college rejection in December, and I remember that stinging sensation well. In the moment, a rejection can feel like the end of the world, but I promise, as corny as it sounds, it all works out exactly how it is supposed to. Good news will come your way!
I wish I could have gone back and told eighteen-year-old Emma how well she was doing, and to enjoy her winter break and not stress so much. I know I'm benefiting from hindsight, but I wish someone at the time had told me that I was doing all of the right things, and that, as I said, everything will turn out great.
Now that it’s December of my senior year of college, I see December very differently. This December, I am trying to live in the moment because in six months, I will be graduating again, only this time, it’s the “real world” that awaits me. I've been trying to take my own advice: I’m trying to celebrate my wins, big and small, and to remember that even if it doesn’t seem like it, everything is going in the direction it needs to. So, to you, I say: I hope that reading this has eased your mind, even just a little bit, and remember, you’re doing amazing! Don’t forget that!