Monday, April 23, 2012

college

every time i start thinking about it my tummy gets upset. 

i'm so freaked out about it. like honestly, i'm mentally ready to leave. i know how to cook, clean, and do my own laundry. not to toot my own horn but i'm pretty awesome doing the said tasks so i really don't think it'll be that hard of a transition. the main thing i'm concerned about, well, pretty much the only thing i'm concerned about is actually getting into college. 

let's face it, college is so hard to get into these days! (not to mention expensive, but we'll talk about that later) there hasn't ever been so much pressure for kids to go to college these days, and a good one at that. i'm not technically failing, but in my parents, family, friends, and my eyes, i am. this year has just been so dang hard! i don't know what it is, but whatever it was i was not prepared for it. so at this point i'm just hoping that i get into a college that my parents will be able to settle with.

which brings me to my next issue.........

i love my parents, don't get me wrong, but they can frustrate me. they say you're your own biggest critic, and well my parents are the second biggest. i understand they just want the best for me, but they also need to understand my stand point, and where i'm coming from. it's a fancy thing called a compromise. when i was naive and in seventh grade, i set my hopes high. i said i wanted to go to Stanford University, a wonderful school at the least. however, once i entered high school, my eyes were abruptly opened. it's not as easy as i thought it would be to get straight a's and be involved and have a social life and sleep and basically balance all things wonderful and necessary to obtain an acceptance letter from that school.

if you ask my parents, i've lowered my standards and hopes and i'm giving up. 

if you ask me, i've become more realistic 

i no longer find it necessary to go to the most expensive school out there just so my mom can brag about me. i dont find it necessary to brake my parent's bank and pay $50,000 a year, not to mention books, housing, gas, and food. i've come to realize that there are plenty of other private universities who offer a great education at a lower cost with a less prestigious name. i've realized i need to go to a school that will fit who i am now, not who i thought i was three years ago. i need a school who will cater to my personality and educational needs, not a school with the biggest name. it is, after all, MY education were talking about...

and that's what led me to researching schools.

and i found one i really like.


it's in the city, has my major, and most importantly, it's centered around the Catholic faith. 

i knew once i picked a school i really like, that i'd have to explain to my parents why i like it. people normally say things like "it has a beautiful campus" or "they offer studying abroad" and while those are definitely important, the religious affilation means the most to me. i've grown so much (and i hope to keep going) in my faith and i think that if i go to a school who is centered around that, it'll allow me to keep sight of Him and never allow my faith to sway away like it does with other people when they go off to college. and that, friends, is why i want to attend Loyola University Chicago. 

even though i'm only a sophomore, it's never too early to set your sights on something. if it's not too much to ask, can i ask for prayers of understanding on behalf of my parents and myself, and that we can just come to a compromise without hateful and disappointed feelings? thank you, it truly means so much to me.