Comparison...and Other Tangents.

Comparison: The act or instance of comparing.

It's all around us. Every single waking minute of our lives -- whether we want to admit it or not -- is spent comparing ourselves to others. It's ridiculous, but we can't help it no matter how hard we try. 

It's human nature.

At this point, you may be asking yourself: "What the hell is the point of this blog post?"

Well, myself as well as 65.9 percent (yes, I did look up this statistic) of all high school students in America are in the crazy horrible agonizing stressful whirlwind of a process entitled: The College Application Process.

It's all anyone ever talks about these days. Parents, teachers, friends, counselors, distant-second-uncles-twice-removed.

They're all like...

      "Where do you want to go to college?"

      "What's your top school?"

      "Are you going to go there like your brother and sister did?"

      "Oh... I heard that x is applying there. Good luck, I guess."

      "What's your SAT test score?"

      "ACT?"

      "Subject Tests?"

      "GPA?"
     
      "Class rank??"

ugh.

Here's what I have to say about all of that.

Stop the badgering, the questions, the looks of disapproval and scorn and contempt. 

Us, as soon-to-be high school graduates and rising college students, want need you to realize that we are trying. We are trying our very best to get through this process still sane. It's hard. It is. And comparing ourselves to others is the root of it all.

I, personally, look at my brother and sister and compare myself; I look at my friends and wish that they weren't applying to the same school that I am; I compare my SAT score with my cousin; I devalue my own worth due to the constant focus that I have on others.

It isn't right. But that's life. It is human nature to compare oneself to others. 

I guess that writing all of this down right now has helped me come to some sort of disarrayed conclusion to this madness: The college application process is daunting, stressful, scary and a lot crazy, but it's necessary. 

Through the hours and hours of high-caliber stress that I've gone through in the past couple of months, I think I've started to find myself. Not to be cliché or anything...

You know, when you're young and in school you're always told what to do, where to sit, when to pee, what classes to take, and who to talk to. But, as I've gone through this crazy process filled with jealousy, over-comparison, and stress, it has given me the chance to make my own decisions. This process is one-hundred percent mine, and nobody can take that away from me.

Reading what I have written so far, I see that I've definitely gone way off topic...oops! Anyways, let me leave you with this: 

Seniors, we got this. It's going to be a crazy next few months but we will get through this. Just make sure to try and focus on only yourself because after all, the college application process should be one-hundred percent your own. Don't waste time (and sanity) on comparing yourselves to others. Remember: You are smart, you are beautiful, and you are worth it.

Good luck!

-D


Quote of the Day: Que Sera Sera // What will be, will be.