Oh boy, here we go.
Welcome to the first edition of the North Star Reporter’s new column Life After North. My name is Sadie Barend and I am a recent and quite nervous graduate of North Attleborough High School.
I plan on sharing some hopefully helpful tricks for students to navigate through their high school experience. Essentially this is an advice column for students preparing to leave North Attleborough for college.
You will also receive some unsolicited information on my own journey so you can learn from my mistakes. Yes, I anticipate I will be making mistakes. I make a lot – just ask my parents
If you have been staying up way too late this summer simply scrolling on TikTok and should instead focus on your college applications, you have come to the right place!
Now you might ask, “Sadie, what are your credentials?” Yeah, I have none. But I did compile my top six best ways for incoming high school upperclassmen and your over-the-top sophomores to prepare for the school year. “Why not a Top 10 list?” Simply, that is too much work.
Begin writing college essays
It is never too early to start working on your college essays. In retrospect, I should have started writing my essays during quarantine. Instead, I channeled my energy into becoming TikTok famous. I am going off to college, so clearly, it didn’t work.
Even if you are entering your sophomore year it doesn’t hurt to start thinking about topics now. I waited until the summer before my senior year to write my essays and you know the only thing I did during that summer? Work on my essays.
When writing your essays do not be afraid to dig deep into your past. It is essentially a mini-therapy session except there is no therapist and your entire future is on the line. So, essentially the exact opposite of a therapy session.
Prepare for the SAT/ACT
I know you already took it but take it again!
There really is no way to make this fun, but I tried. For me, I turned on Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” as background music and sped through the math section during my practice sessions. However, I cannot exactly say this strategy was successful. So maybe try “Speak Now” instead.
Buy school supplies
I would be wise to tell you to get started on your summer reading, but we both know that buying school supplies is substantially more fun than reading a book published in the 1950s. Or whenever the heck Shakespeare wrote his little spew.
So go roam the aisles at Target and convince yourself that you do need that $50 pack of pastel highlighters!
Tour colleges
One of the few upsides to the college admissions process is getting to see multiple different campuses by taking college tours.
Unfortunately, you probably have to go with your parents. That’s even more unfortunate if one of your parents happens to be my dad. He had no problem asking our tour guide, “Is there a pickleball club on campus? My daughter plays pickleball. Where do we find the pickleballers?” Yes, embarrassing.
However, you do receive a ton of free merch during these tours which makes you feel great until you do that Google search and see the ever-shrinking percentage of people your top choice accepts.
Find a passion project
It is hugely important to highlight a key interest that is not school-related, on your college applications. Anything can be a passion project! I promise you anything.
Here are some examples:
- Volunteering at the soup kitchen
- Growing zucchini in your backyard
- Keeping North Attleborough clean
- Saving the porpoises
- Honestly, just find something!
Get out of your parent’s basement
No matter what you do this summer please just try to avoid spending your time solely playing video games, or watching “New Girl” (a great show by the way) in your parent’s basement.
Please check back for the next edition of Life After North to help all you college-bound students at North Attleborough get ready for your life after North!
