Senioritis: An Uncontrollable Epidemic by Julia
Juliaof Cleveland's entry into Varsity Tutor's January 2016 scholarship contest
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Senioritis: An Uncontrollable Epidemic by Julia - January 2016 Scholarship Essay
Stress: I can feel its tight grip strengthening around my neck as fingers full of worries press down forcefully limiting my breathing. Years of tests, deadlines, and applications have concocted this beast that threatens to end my existence. But, wait, I have a knife; a knife forged from endless planners, calendars, and reminders that can combat this monster with the power of organization, guaranteed to work. I puncture the villain, yet somehow to no avail, he becomes angrier and subsequently stronger. How do I battle this creature comprised of the anxiety of senior year?
January, February, March, April, and May—the last months of substantial youth before I assume my position as a graduate from high school. With only five months left, every part of me wants to let the senioritis take hold and fill me with the antibodies that alleviate the urge to care. The New Year brings the antibiotics of resolutions, which can pump me full of the cure: will power. This whimsical metaphor unveils my true desires for the last five months of my senior year. While many pledge to lose weight, eat healthy, or fall in love, all I hope for is the ability to fight this overwhelming burden of stress that was placed on my back as a weak freshman. The burden has only grown, carrying inside hundreds of scholarships waiting to be applied for, interviews for potential schools, and the desire to savor the last memories I’ll enjoy with my high school mates.
Obviously stress is no foreign topic among students; I’m quite well versed in this language of jitters, sweaty palms, and stuttering. Although with a New Year, I hope to find a new me—a me that will combat this stress head-on with no qualms about the past or future. This year won’t be the year of the monkey but instead the year of the powerful high school student. This pupil resolves to fight against the temptress of procrastination and improve herself in preparation for the daunting world of college.
It takes no genius to recognize the benefits of a solid work ethic. Perseverance bears endless gifts of success and prosperity. Resolving to strenuously push through the downhill of senior year will create a structurally sound platform that will prove steady in times of doubt. 2016 promises to build a foundation of academic and mental endurance that can ultimately improve my stamina as a college student and as a factor in the work force. No employer ever wanted to hire the lazy bum who curses the day the word deadline was created.
What do I hope to find in a brand new year? While a love life would be quite nice, I truly desire to better myself by happily carrying the burden of stress and slowly unpacking its contents until the weight is bearable. While this resolution will definitely cause my academic limits to become strained, I believe I will ultimately improve not only as a student but also as a human being. My perseverance will manifest itself into a powerful weapon—a weapon that can conquer the monster of anxiety that plagues the conscience of every high school senior.