(November 2, 2007) — It’s around 8 p.m. on a Saturday night and I’m trying to finish my homework for the weekend, anticipating its end so that I can go hang out with my friends. But in the back of my mind I know that there are more important issues to address besides what movie my friends and I are going to see or what’s the newest flavored drink to try at Starbucks. Then my parents walk into my room with their “we have to talk” facial expressions, and I know exactly what’s coming next when I see the college pamphlets on my mother’s lap. “So which colleges are you planning to apply to, Alida?” It’s that question I’ve been asked a million times over and over again. How I dread hearing those words! Now all of these obstacles that I pushed aside are taking over my life. Balancing college applications, SATs and SAT IIs, ACTs, the senior project, AP classes, extracurricular activities and somehow maintaining a social life is insane! First is the pressure of producing above satisfactory results on the SATs and the ACTs. And to be quite frank, I think they’re the biggest waste of money if the state already mandates the STAR testing to examine our levels of knowledge in various subject areas. For the SATs alone I’ve dished out at least $150, if not more, between preparatory classes, study books and the actual exams. And I know many others who’ve spent way more. Also, deciding where you want to spend the next four years of your life is a bit scary, to say the least. I don’t have a crystal ball to help me foresee the future and guide me in my decision-making process. So after I kicked and screamed and vented out all of my frustrations and shed a few tears, I decided it was time to take this seriously. I sat in front of my computer and collegeboard.com became my best friend. I created a potential college list and narrowed it down to a few based on my preferences and criteria. But until I actually got to that point, I was extremely drained and had a massive migraine. If I didn’t care so much and wasn’t such a dreamer with high goals and expectations I could always attempt to simplify my life. Yes, I’ve entertained the idea of skipping all of the hard work, the SATs, the recommendation letters, the organizing and remembering of specific deadlines pertaining to each college, and the extra work of writing essays for evaluation by college admissions people. I could go to a two-year college and prolong that hassle another two years. But I’m not looking for another two years in a transition state between high school and college. I’m looking for the real deal and experiencing true college life. Even though I’m stressed and confused out of my mind, I know that it’s all just a phase that we must go through. The competition is crazy and only makes the whole process even more annoying, but we’re all in the same boat.