The Waiting Game

by Brette Stockmaster

Like many of you will be doing in the following months, my senior year of high school felt like a big waiting game. Waiting to see if the hours of studying paid of in my final GPA, waiting see if my final year of basketball ended with a state championship, waiting to see if my senior prom would be as perfect as imagined, and most importantly waiting to see what colleges accepted me. My GPA was the only thing that turned out as planned. In my final minutes of being on the court ever, my team fell behind and ultimately lost one game away from state. I was dumped the day before my senior prom. A generous handful of schools rejected me. This post is starting to sound sad, but the point is don’t agonize over the period of waiting. There is nothing positive about worrying about what you cannot control. Have fun. Spend time with your family. Read books. Go out. Enjoy your final months of high school.

So what can I do to help with the so called Waiting Game?

1.       Don’t compulsively check College Confidential. You’re going to get mislead.
2.       Don’t think that the end of the world is in one rejection.
3.       Don’t stop doing the things you love. Go on that bike ride. Bake those cookies.

Like I said, things didn’t turn out exactly as I had hoped after the waiting game was over, but do know I am better because of it. Times laughing with my teammates are some of my fondest memories of high school. I found a new date (in less than 24 hours), and my senior prom was a blast. And, I am attending a school that continuously pushes me academically and socially out of my comfort zone.

Don’t let the Waiting Game ruin some of the greatest months of high school. Good luck. J

*Please note, you don’t need a date for prom to have a blast. I am a bad example in that sense.