Stressful Times

Stressful Times Im going to confess something. A bit more than two years ago,  I remember asking my parents to bless my application. Im pretty sure that I would have sprinkled holy water on it if I had access to some. If someone would have told me that they got into MIT because they danced around with their application package in the snow while chanting, Accept me, oh Institute, I must admit that I would have thought to try that. So after I asked my parents to bless my application envelope, they did. Hesitatingly. I could tell that they just did it so I could stop squaking about how nervous I was. Boy, they didnt understand, though! It was MIT that I was applying to. This was important! This was about my future. *facepalm* I remember my dad looking at me with his honest, slightly concerned eyes as he said, Ana, the only thing you ever have to worry about is about doing your best. Thats it. Just do your best.  I also remember thinking about how painfully obvious that was. Of course you have to do your best. How often does  everyone hear that? Kindergarteners could tell you that.  At the time, I took those words and put them in the shelf of things Ive already heard in my mind. But it wasnt until this semester that I realized just how powerful and true that piece of advice was. You see, as a senior in high school, I used to be the kid who pulled all-nighters, just because I could. I would get things done, Id just be sure to calculate how well I needed to do on the next exam to get an A in the class. I thought I knew how to work hard. I just didnt do it so often. I certainly didnt do it every day. I talked about procrastinaiton, almost as if it were something to be proud of (Its really, really, really not!)  For me, being a senior in high school reminded me all too often about how close I was to being done when in reality it should have been reminding me of how close I was to starting over, and HOW INCREDIBLY MUCH IVE YET TO LEARN ( honestly, this should be true no matter what stage of school life youre in). Just do your best, (lol just) is quite an open-ended piece of advice, when you get down to the nitty gritty. As Ive repeated this to myself over and over this semester, this thought always has questions to follow. Should I stay up to finish my pset tonight and then feel sleepy tomorrow, or should I divide it between days and trust that Ill be able to do it all? When should I stop studying to take a break?  What time would be ok for me to go to sleep? What goals should I have? BUT I also want to hang out with people, and learn how to paint, and go ice skating, and enjoy the simple things in life! There are always tradeoffs involved. Its a lot more complicated than what it seems. Its not about making As or about getting in to your dream school. Being the best you can be is honestly the most you could ever demand from yourself. Its both a philosophy and a lifelong process. It requires you to first of all find out who you actually are and who you want to be, know your strengths and weaknesses, and then make (sometimes difficult) decisions based on that. Its about accepting your circumstances and acting humbly upon them.  Its not about accomplishing goals, its about becoming better when you do accomplish them, and about becoming better when you dont. Its about learning to make it happen, in the words of my unified professor. This Saturday, Early Admissions decisions come out.  Next week is also finals week for us here at MIT.  So to all who applied, whether you get in or not,  and to anyone with finals, Ill give you the best advice Ive ever received: Just do your best. I promise itll take you to where you need to be.