Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors – take note…with early application submissions for seniors now in our wake and individual meetings with juniors set to begin, I’ve been thinking more about the student experience and how students present themselves as candidates for college admission. Academically speaking, students are fed a steady and predictable diet of academic nutrition ranging from English and history to math and science, and that IS how it should be. Up until this point in high school, many students really haven’t done much outside the classroom beyond what we require, which is largely relegated to the realm of athletics. How can students develop a resume beyond the athletic requirements they are beholden to? What follows is some food for thought as you continue to develop your emerging personal story.
It’s important to first note some inescapable truths. We all realize time can often be an enemy, and please understand that I do not want anyone to read this and come away with the idea that more is better, and students should race off to sign up for as many clubs and activities they can find. More is not necessarily better. I get it, you have tons of homework and other school related obligations that don’t always leave a lot of opportunity to explore new things, but building a resume will require a commitment to step outside your comfort zone to discover the range of possibilities available. It’s not uncommon for me to hear students talk about not having any free time, and I might counter that by suggesting you put your gaming console aside for a while, press pause on Netflix, or lay off the endless stream of vapid social media that consumes far too many hours of teenage attention.
Tabor is loaded with opportunity, and many options don’t require a substantial time commitment. Perhaps you’re a gifted writer or budding poet and one of our literary publications is calling your name? Maybe it’s the environment and EA at TA is worth a try? Community service and volunteer opportunities are abundant. Maybe student government is your thing? Maybe you’ve never tried rowing before and want to give it a whirl? What about Tabor Boy? How about the Maker Lab? And let’s not forget about summer jobs or internships that can build character, inspire passions, and teach students a lot about personal responsibility. Regardless, what’s important is that you try new things and use these experiences to help better understand what it is that makes you tick. Not everything will be a perfect fit, and that’s ok. What really matters is that each of these experiences provides an opportunity to learn and grow and figure some things out. That same theme rings true in the college search – not every college will be a perfect fit, but what you learn along the way will prove invaluable as you assess what college is ultimately the best fit for you. There’s more than just something for everyone - test the waters of opportunity at Tabor and use each experience to become a more complete, thoughtful, and interesting student and person. Get off the couch, put down your phone, opportunity is knocking…go answer the door!
