Staying Connected

Ever since I walked through the doors of my high school, I have been getting the same exact questions. What do you want to do with your life? What college do you want to go to? How do you want to approach the process? As a freshman in high school, and even as a sophomore and junior, my answer was I don't know. One minute I am trying to study for a vocabulary quiz, and the next I am thinking about the future. Being responsible for both can be really scary, and as I am sure the majority of you feel, sometimes I just don't want to do it.

Thankfully, though we don't always realize it, the faculty and staff of our high schools want us to succeed. They became teachers for that reason, and if you ask, you will get the help that you need. It's kind of like the Harry Potter quote: "You will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Don't be afraid to look for the answers or ask for help. They are there for us to absorb.

I am extremely lucky that my school offers a "Senior Boot Camp" hosted on several dates over the month. This event was pretty much an information meeting about how this next year is going to go. I picked up a few tips, but the most important one I remember is not to stress. This whole experience is already a lot to handle, so don't add pressure by waiting until the last minute to do anything. Remember, the earlier you start working towards your college career, the easier your senior year will be. This is something that I personally really need to work on, because I am the master at procrastination.

Going to the "Senior Boot Camp" gave me some vital information on this website that my county offers called Naviance. You can research colleges that fit you personally, and add them to the "Colleges I am applying to" tab which teachers can access and send your transcripts and recommendation letters to. After speaking to your teacher or counselor personally, you can request them over Naviance to write a recommendation letter for you. I have been using this website since last year, and already I find it very helpful. This year I am going to have to lean on it more than ever.

I am not sure if every school has access to this website, but most likely you have access to some sort of resource. It is there for a reason, so use it. It can be annoying to spend your time on something that in the moment doesn't seem to be the most important thing. But in the future, when you are moving your things into your dorm room, hopefully you will smile and be thankful that you did the work ahead of time so you could get into your dream school, instead of settling for a school that you don't want to attend.

Teachers want you to succeed, but if yours doesn't obviously shove the information in your face, it is still your responsibility to find it and use it. Technology has made this easier for us, because almost everything you need to know is online. But don't be afraid to ask an adult. They have been through this, and they actually do know what they are doing.

I hope you enjoyed reading and found this helpful!

xoxo Jordan

Back to School Jitters!

It is that time. TV commercials are starting to advertise Back to School sales, and stores are having Back to School events. Every time I hear one of those commercials I cringe and I have to hold back a cry. The dreaded time of year is here again. I still have summer assignments to complete (whose idea was it to bring school into summer? Just saying...) and I am frankly just not ready. I swear, we just ended the 2014-15 school year just a few days ago, that's what it feels like.

The idea of going back to school differs for everyone. At first glance, it can be sad and stressful. There are many reasons why, but here are five that you might agree with:

1.) Waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning. And also, going to sleep before you are even remotely tired.
2.) Homework. We all know that this clearly isn't fun, but the worst is when it seems like teachers have a secret meeting just to destroy your life. They decide to give you their biggest assignments at the same time as every other teacher. Thanks guys. We just lost sleep for the next week.
3.) Tests. If you are a good tester, maybe this isn't a big deal. Well, for me, it is a huge deal! I have the hardest time with tests. I know people who can not even touch their notes and get a 100% on the midterm exam, and then you have me, who studies really hard as soon as I hear of the test and ends up with maybe a 75%. Not looking forward to that.
4.) Eating lunch on schedule. I eat when I please, thank you very much.
5.) Drama. Not that I am included in any of it, because I try to stay away from all of that, but there is no avoiding the gossip and the rumors and the fights. I hear about them everywhere and it just makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

While I feel that is a very reasonable list, and I think multiple people would agree, I am, actually, also really excited for school this year. Every year it is the same mix of dread and excitement, and sometimes you just don't know which one is going to take over your mind. On some days, the thought of going back to school makes me nervous, and some days it makes me excited. Here are some things I am excited about:

1.) Seeing my friends. I know that everyone makes promises to see all their friends over the summer, but realistically, you probably don't see all of them. In my case, I saw about two of them the entire summer.
2.) Classes. I am taking some really interesting new classes this year. I am particularly excited for Creative Writing. I have wanted to take this class for the past three years, but my schedule wouldn't allow any more room. Now I can!
3.) Being Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper! This is a job I have wanted ever since joining the newspaper, and seeing the previous Editor-in-Chiefs grow as people and as leaders really inspired me to do the same. While I am extremely excited for this, I am also very nervous.
4.) Our high school musical! We haven't been told what we will be performing this year, but I have participated in the last two musicals, and both years I felt that we created a new family. I love the people that I work with in the musicals. The cast, the stage managers and tech crew, the orchestra, and the directors. I still miss performing Seussical and Les Miserables so much! The songs are still on a continuous loop in my head.
5.) Finally, I am going to be a senior this year. I don't really know what that entails, because I have always heard that it is the most fun anyone has ever had in school. But so far, with the many summer assignments, I feel like it is going to be my toughest year. Maybe that is because I am taking AP, or maybe it will let up as the year goes on. I'm not sure, but I do know that being a senior will be tons of fun! I am so excited for all of the events that take place, I really think this is going to be my year.

It is always scary entering a new school year, unsure of the obstacles you will be facing, or what teacher you are going to have. But if you remember that you have an entire student body going through the same exact thing that you are, maybe it won't be so bad. I have to embrace my last year of high school, because as much as I hate it sometimes, I also can't help but love it.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Happy Back to School shopping!

xoxo Jordan

Tasting the Campus Air

I always feel like my high school is my second home. I'm there five out of seven days a week, nine months of the year. Although sometimes I really don't want to be there, it is where I put my focus, where I see my friends (or as I call them, my second family...), where I laugh and where I cry. It is home. Now think of high school and amplify that by 100. Not only is it all of the things that I previously mentioned, but the majority of underclassmen and some upperclassmen live on campus. It actually is, really, home.

Most colleges have super snazzy websites where you can read all about academics, look at campus-life pictures, and contact information to answer any questions you may have. While this is a fantastic resource, visiting and touring colleges is a must-do. I would never be able to attend a school that I have never visited. Pictures just don't do justice to the place you will be living for the next four years. From personal experience, visiting a campus can make or break your decision. SO DO IT!!!

Christopher Newport University

I have to thank my beautiful friend Rachel (again!) for suggesting that we tour this school together. She was researching schools before I had ever even thought about college. I'm a kid at heart, leaving home is going to be difficult and I just hadn't gotten that far. But Rachel looked up medium to small sized schools and found Christopher Newport University. I was excited to tour it, so I looked it up online, and I was impressed. It looked nice, got great reviews and the people who attend love it. But I didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as I did. And believe me, this school is beautiful.

We don't have many pictures of the college, but believe me, it is stunning. This first picture is of me and my family in front of the clock tower, which my mom insisted on taking a picture in front of, because she has some strange affinity for clock towers... just kidding, I understand, they are beautiful!

This picture is of Rachel's family and I lounging in the lounge area. I don't remember what it is really called, but it is probably the coolest part of campus. They do karaoke here. Just, too cool.

    

Christopher Newport University is my top school choice, and I am so excited to apply and (hopefully!) attend. I wish I had more campus pictures to show you, but it was cold and we gravitated toward the indoors. Look up pictures, it is beautiful and it ultimately felt like home.

University of Mary Washington

This school is very close to where I currently live, so ever since I was a kid we have been walking around this campus, and I feel very close to it. It is beautiful and I know a lot of people who are currently enrolled, and I have heard amazing things. The academics are great and they get really involved in the community. That being said, it is almost too close to home, and I really want the experience of going away, as sad and scary as it will be.

In this picture, my mom and I toured once again with Rachel and her mom. It has become a tradition.

This is one of my favorite pictures out of all of our college visits, because of the background behind my mom and I. Beautiful.

Longwood University

This one was interesting. A really good school, but it wasn't for me. I am sure I would have a great time, and Farmville is such a cute town with an awesome Macado's right by campus. Seriously, if you have never been to a Macado's, you really are missing out. It's an amazing sandwich shop. Trust me. Anyways, this school just didn't speak to me like Christopher Newport did, which as you can guess, has been my comparison school during this journey. Longwood is a very good school though, and again, you never know until you check it out! The lesson here is that there are going to be school that you just cannot see yourself attending, and that is a good thing. Ruling out what you do not like about a school can be very eye-opening in the college-searching experience.

This is my beautiful friend Rachel and I showing some teeth by the Longwood University sign. It was a good day! 

And here we are rubbing "Joaney the Stoney's" hands for good luck. Fun little Longwood tradition.

George Mason University

Finally, I found a school that I liked enough to compete with Christopher Newport! And the funny thing is, they are so different from each other, you would think they were from different planets! The technology at George Mason is so incredible, the academics are insanely advanced, and the campus is very "cool" looking. There are buildings at this school that blow your mind architecturally. This school made its way to the second spot on my list very quickly, and I can tell that if I end up here, I would feel very comfortable and be happy.

Rachel, her mom and I waiting for the tour!

Rachel and I standing next to the man himself, George Mason!

I did recently revisit George Mason and solidified Christopher Newport as my favorite. It is still a wonderful school, but I felt that my feelings on it changed slightly, though I am still completely excited to apply!

Overall, visiting schools gives you a much more sure or unsure feeling. My advice to anyone who is searching for a school that is perfect for them is to visit. The only thing that it will do is give you a true feeling of the campus.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading! 

xoxo Jordan

What is "My College Conditioning"?

Because of my desire to work in the journalism field, I decided to start up a blog showing my progress in chasing that dream. For a while now, blogs have intrigued me and I have secretly wanted to start one for a while, but not really knowing how to create one or what to write about, I just never did. But now that I have approached a huge milestone in my life, I thought, why not share this with other people? I am so excited to share my story with you, and maybe help you along the way! If this isn't helpful... well maybe I can at least succeed at making you laugh. I have a feeling there will be plenty of embarrassing stories, as there always seems to be.

Reading and writing has been a passion of mine since as long as I can remember, and the moment I walked into my Journalism 1 classroom my freshman year of high school, I knew I found something I could be passionate about forever. It was actually one of my best friends Rachel who convinced me to sign up. We both had a huge scheduling conflict (we both wanted to take Band and German, but for some reason, we couldn't. It's a whole big, frustrating story) and we had a block open.  Having seven out of eight blocks filled left me making a list of many possible contenders for the last spot. The funny thing is, Journalism was not one of them. I never even thought about it. Then Rachel called me up and told me she signed up for Journalism, and I thought, sure, why not? At least I'll have someone to talk to. That ended up being one of the best decisions I had made in my (at the time) 14 years of life.

Fast forward three years and I am a rising senior in high school, Editor-in-Chief of our school newspaper, and anxiously approaching the college search that will point me in the direction of my future. It may seem that since I am writing a blog about my journey to college that I have everything figured out. I don't. I'm just as scared, confused, and exhausted as all of you are. But above all, I'm excited. Excited about taking control of my future and sharing it with the people I love. And, of course, all of you who are reading this.

I hope this is both enjoyable and informative for you all and thanks for reading!

xoxo Jordan