School may be out, but for some of you, the summer doesn’t entail going to the beach with your friends every afternoon. Some of you will still be taking classes this summer. Groans all around. I know it really, really is not fun to take school during the summer, but think about it as a trade-off. By taking an AP class now, you won’t have to take that same class in college — granted you get a 5 or a 4 on the exam. Think about how much time and energy that saves you in the long run! So don’t sweat the small stuff. Do your best in your AP summer class, and learn these general study skills that are sure to raise your AP test score.
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The college admissions essay. High school juniors: it’s looming on your summer horizon. This is your summer to figure out what you’re going to say to convince colleges around America to let you through their hallowed halls next year. For those who still have a few more years of high school to go, the stressful prospect of writing college admissions essays is imminent and forthcoming whether you like it or not.
College admissions essays are a strange concept. When you have your academic record, your extracurricular involvements, and your teacher recommendations going for you, why do you still need something so subjective, so seemingly inconsequential, as a 500-word personal statement? The college admissions essay is one of the most difficult pieces of writing you will ever face, not only because the assignment itself is so open ended, but because so much depends on it.
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Congratulations! The school year is done (or almost done) for most of you. For all you college bound seniors excited for the next stage of life, this is your last real high school summer. You probably want to spend your summer hanging out with your friends at that one 18-and-over club within driving distance (Eduify does not endorse illegal activities), but you should know two things. First, try not to get arrested. Second, try to read something at some point in the next three months.
I know it’s seriously cramping your style to have to do any sort of mind exercise after you finished your whirlwind year of APs, SATs, and college applications, but college is an entirely different game than high school, and it’s important to keep your minds sharp and fresh. Contrary to popular belief, you won’t melt like the Wicked Witch if you walk into a library. To ease the process of reading, here are some great summer reading (i.e. not too heavy, nothing Pynchonian or Foster-Wallacesque) books ABOUT college life. Some are optimistic, some are pessimistic, and in some, people actually die. All are great books set in a realistic collegiate atmosphere – perfect for those incoming college freshmen looking for hints of what is to come. Not to be ominous or anything.
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