I remember at the end of junior year, my senior friends graduating, crying about the fact that they were all about to go off to college. I remember them telling me stories of their last year in high school. They told me about crazy adventures and that senior year was fun. What a bunch of liars.

Senior year is a giant monster comprised of school work and college applications. Anytime I want to go out, I realize I can’t, I have homework.

As the application deadline draws closer, everyone else seems to be busy too. My friend Michelle has blown me off at least twice for applications, not that I am any better.

More often than not I can be found locked into my room with a piece of paper that may or may not get me into the college of my dreams. With the Common Application and the University of California Application hanging over our heads, how can we possibly relax?

College applications are horrible. For the UC Application they take our grades from junior and senior year, our SAT/ACT/SAT Subject test scores, fill out a sheet of all the activities that we have done thus far in high school, then we have 1000 words and two essay prompts.

The essays are the worst. We have only a 1,000 words to tell someone who we are, and why they should pick us for their college rather than someone else.

Also, the prompts can be considered difficult for many people, they are broad about what we can write, “write about the world you come from” or “Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you”, which gives us a lot to choose from.

The word limit is the real problem though, how do you tell someone who you are in 1000 words or less?

But we also have many other activities on our plates.  In between sports, AP classes, the Hero Project, music, community service, and clubs, I’m surprised that we haven’t gone crazy.

In October 2002 International Child and Youth Care Network held a survey at Marlborough High school about teen stress. The results? 70% of all students at Marlborough High suffer from stress. However, 2002 was eight years ago, and high school has become even more difficult, and so has getting accepted to a college.

But, we can’t just ignore college or school, so I guess we just have to tough it out, and hope the fun they were talking about last year happens second semester.