“What schools are you looking at? In-state or out-of-state? What do you want to study in college?” As I get closer and closer to finishing my junior year, people ask me these college questions almost weekly. Thinking about life after high school is already quite stressful, especially when preparing for standardized tests and applying for scholarships. I prepared myself for a hectic spring break exactly for this reason, but as it turns out, I didn’t have to!
Over spring break, I did one of the common activities expected of juniors: college visits. I had never truly visited a college before, so it was a fresh experience for me. I also learned a lesson: finalize spring break plans early because spring break college visit dates fill up fast. Because of the pace of my schoolwork and studying for AP Exams, by the time I realized I had to plan my college visits, it was almost too late. I had the chance to visit only two colleges over spring break, so the rest will have to wait until after exams.
My first visit was a campus tour of Emory University in Atlanta. For the first hour, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions talked to the group about the unique research and internship opportunities at Emory, as well as the undertaking of Ebola virus research, among other undergraduate information. The group then split up into three smaller groups and were led around the campus by current Emory students.
My second visit was a self-guided tour of the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens. My sister was there for a robotics competition, so my parents and I walked (and drove) around the campus. It was a Saturday, so there were barely any students on campus. As we strolled along the wide paths lined with flowering trees, I was amazed at how expansive UGA was, especially because I was partly comparing it to Emory.
Unexpectedly, it wasn’t stressful after all – I actually had a lot of fun imagining what college life would be like for me; it made me hopeful and excited for the future to come!
