The seemingly impending doom, or triumph, of college application deadlines, is right around the corner.
To many, this seems like a cornerstone in life, one that dictates future happiness. This medieval perception that happiness, wealth, and sanctity, can only be achieved at the top schools is terrifyingly flawed. Life is bigger than college, grades, and test scores.
Warde students are a part of one the most top tier, hyper-competitive environments in the United States; demographically, we are destined for success. We attend an incredible institution that gives us access to all the tools needed to achieve success.
For everyone, the “bad” is not as bad as it seems.
Life is about having good friends and good people in your life. It is not about going to a flashy undergrad school.
The overall goal in life is enjoyment, nobody lives for an Ivy League school. Ivies are the Church preaching salvation. Martin Luther was right, the system should be challenged.
It is imperative to realize that everything is going to be okay. Success only aids happiness, it does not create it. The worst thing that someone can do is to allow their environment to dictate their happiness.
The post-high school years are a massive part of our lives, however, which college we attend, or if we go to college at all, is not. All that you have you already carry with you.
If you can break life down into why it is lived, you will find happiness. Should you go further and find what is conducive to this happiness, you will not find an acceptance letter from Harvard. What makes up a person is kindness, altruism, curiosity, and love.
Tests, like the ones we are given, are no measure of the man. Notice how all of these factors can be controlled from within; be curious, explore, question, and you will come closer to what you are striving to be. Work hard at what you do, but know that being in the top 10, 20, even 50% does not translate to who you are.
Again, life is meant to be lived. It is terrifyingly short, focus on what matters.