Rieko Luo, 4/23/21,PD8, Day C

Rieko Luo, Period 8, 4/23/2021, Day C

• Goal Setting & Growth
• At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?
• May 1st is rapidly approaching in exactly one week. May 1st is the National Decision Day—the day I dread, yet the day that will finally put my mind to rest. At this current point in time, I wish to officially decide on what college I will commit to for the next four years. With this decision comes great responsibility for a 17-year-old to shoulder. Since the end of March and the beginning of April, I have received great offers from multiple colleges, but even after a month, I am still unable to confidently put my foot down for one. The idea of deciding my future for the next four years and turning down equally great offers from other schools is absolutely terrifying for me. Will I regret my decision? Did I make the right decision? Did I take my career goals into consideration? This overwhelming sense of fear and uncertainty brings up the second goal I have for myself right now: I strive to be happy and proud of the decision I will make. I wish to have no second thoughts and no regrets after I click the “Accept” button. Nearly seven years of blood, sweat, and tears have been shed to open this new chapter of my life, and therefore, I wish to step on this new path on the right foot with happiness, excitement, and anticipation for great things to come.

• How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)
• As for my first goal of deciding what college to commit to, I am trying to weigh out my options as carefully, fairly, and explicitly as possible. Just this weekend, I visited a college campus with my family and took into consideration many things, such as housing and meal plans, condition of facilities, resource centers, location, and environment. After carefully breaking down such factors and comparing them to those of other schools in a simple pros and cons chart, I was able to see how certain schools performed better in what I was looking for in a productive and enjoyable college experience. On the other hand, my second goal of being happy and proud of the decision I will make is still a work in progress. I have been mentally preparing myself for the rapidly approaching day by stopping myself from asking “What if…” questions or thinking about alternative scenarios. That mindset causes me to live in the current day instead of the future. The future is unknown and trying to predict what will happen in the future will only cause me more anxiety. By being content with my decision and looking forward to the future (instead of into the future), I am certain I will be more happy and excited for myself.

• How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)
• Visiting a college campus over this weekend has reminded me greatly of the new world we live in today. It was the first time I have actually left my house for longer than 10 minutes. My family and I closely followed the college’s COVID-19 policies, which included walking around campus with a mask on at all times and constantly maintaining a distance of six feet from other visitors or students. The closed-off facilities and protective measures have put into perspective the smaller scale of my issues as a high school senior compared to the deadly virus that the world has been trying to fight for over a year now. My internal battle with college decisions pales in comparison to what students may be facing right now in countries of socio-political unrest, such as Myanmar, or what students battling COVID-19 may be facing. Such events in current-day society have made me more empathetic and grateful for my situation and the fact that I have the privilege of going to college.