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Emma Bullerman
Being in high school is a balancing act.
Many kids are multi-sport athletes, multi-activity performers or somewhere in between -- there is rarely ever a minute of downtime for us students, especially seniors. We often get so caught up in what is happening next that we rarely ever get to experience what is taking place now. This is only made worse by the looming dread that college planning brings for many of us.
I’m currently involved in a multitude of extracurriculars within Aurora’s fine arts department and a few even beyond that. As a multi-activity student performer, I experience almost all of my activities overlapping at some point in the year. This was a year where show choir, one-act, speech and musical all met at the same point and every student involved is being pulled in all different directions.
This is what the day of musical auditions looked like for me: Rhapsody rehearsal at 7:15 a.m., regular school from 8:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., speech practice on my own from 3:45-4:15 p.m., preparing for auditions from 4-5 p.m -- actually auditioning at 5:45(ish) p.m., one-act from 6-8 p.m., all followed by coming home to a couple hours worth of homework and scholarship applications.
I’m pretty sure I also had a biology test to study for the next day.
While this is by no means the fault of any directors or teachers, I think it’s safe to attest that these kinds of days take a major toll on the students in our communities. This was just an example of one of my days. It’s not a rare occurrence that I, and many others, have days that look very similar to this multiple times a week.
On top of this, as seniors we receive the added stress from peers, teachers and parents to solidify our college plans. Constantly trying to stay in the present while in school along with thinking of our futures is exhausting on its own. When it’s added to the countless other activities and assignments on our plates, it can begin to feel impossible to get anything done or make anyone happy.
The pressure from the adults in our lives to plan for our futures, while helpful at times, can often push us further over the edge of stress. Most senior students are aware of the tasks at hand. We know that we need to get this form done, this essay written and that application submitted. What we truly need from our adults is support, rather than pressure.
I was told once that though parents often want the best for their child, they don’t always help accomplish that in the best way for their children. In my experience, I think parents and adults can get caught up in the fact that they don’t want their children to make the same mistakes they did. In turn, they steer their kids so far away from those mistakes, that it instills fear rather than optimism for the future.
We kids have no idea what it’s like to be a parent, but every parent knows exactly what it’s like to be 18 years old. As an adult now, what kind of treatment do you wish you would have gotten from your parents during that time in your life?
Now, I know sometimes an extra push or reminder is necessary from our parents and adults. With that said, I also think it’s important for the adults in students’ lives to take a step back and remember how intense this time is for us. It’s not a surprise that a lot of anxieties come along with planning out the rest of one’s life at such a young age. All we ask for is reassurance that everything will turn out okay.
As I go through the process of getting ready for college, I am realizing just how much anxiety I have related to “doing something wrong.” But the truth is, there is no wrong answer.
It is okay to not know.
With the guidance of my parents and others in my life I’ve slowly come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to do everything perfectly. Mistakes will happen, but they will not be the end of the world for me, my parents or anyone else in my life. Our futures will happen no matter what.
EMMA BULLERMAN is a senior at Aurora High School -- emma.bullerman@gmail. com.
