Application frustration
Larissa WalkiwToday I’m making a gutsy move on the Y&F blog by breaking the three-week long tradition of posting a video on Tuesday (blame it on my rebellious streak).
These past couple of days, I’ve been going through piles of old papers, resumés, and report cards. It’s university application time.
Even the application itself comes with its own set of stresses (let’s not get into the tuition, residence, and transportation trauma that will inevitably follow!). The simplest form turns into a mental war zone:
What makes Whatever University your ideal place of study?
Oh gosh. The unique programs? What a boring answer. The profs? The location! No, that makes me sound uninvolved. The new friendships that await? Now I sound TOO involved.
It’s a struggle.
At the same time, there is a side to applications that I really appreciate. Whether for school or for work, the application process often forces you to reflect on past experiences – which is something that people don’t tend to do all that often.
It’s like peeking into a time capsule. You remember how hard you studied for that one course, how happy you were to win that game, how awful that part-time job was, how much you learned from doing that project. You remember the people you worked with and the places you’ve been… and before you know it you have an entire history to work with and edit and mold into something that resembles a summary of your life. It can be a very humbling process.
So for those of you caught in the middle of university or job applications right now (or later on in the year), please take the time to celebrate your achievements.
At the very least, it will distract you from the impending deadlines, target dates, and cutoff points.
Larissa
