College Admissions

College Admissions

College admissions are always tough. It was one of the most nerve-wrecking parts of my senior year. I'd like to pretend that I was calm, cool, and collected during the decisions process, but in all honesty I was a mess. I had the jitters, and my fingers could barely log on to the decision portal because they were shaking so much. 

However, now that the dust has settled from the battlefield known as college applications, and many soldiers are returning home victorious while others limp home bruised and battered, I want to take a moment to address three main categories of people. 

To the rejected applicant:

It is one of the worst feelings to not get a college decision/award that you thought was rightfully yours. You worked four years, only to be left feeling robbed.

However, I'll stop you right there.

 It's OK. Really it is. Life moves on. Life and the extent of your life should not be determined by much more than a piece of paper with a few words on it. Honestly, in the grand scheme of life, undergrad is a very small time. The college you go to does not define who you are as a person or what you believe in or stand for. As long as you can say, I tried my best then that is all that matters :) 

You will end up going to a college that was the right fit for you, and you will flourish there. Do not turn your head back and keep wondering "what if". That's the past. Do not feel dejected at your hard work. Look around you, and realize that there are people (teachers, students, parents, me) that care about you and are here to support you through a rough patch. Rejoice in the fact that whatever college you end up going to go is blessed to have you, and it will provide a an enriching experience for you.

To the wait-listed applicant:

Ah here's the toughie. I would consider this to be like a limbo. Neither here nor their. However,  I would advise you in the same way as the previous category. 

Make sure you go ahead and explore options at schools you were already accepted to. Don't keep wondering about "what if" and "if only I had been pulled from the wait list". Trust me, those are pangs that lead no where but sadness. Focus on the institutions that did accept you, and set plans in motion. In the meantime if you get pulled of the wait list and still want to attend, then hey more power to ya. But do not be that one kid that is waiting till May 10th 11:59 P.M. 

I think the overarching message for both of these groups is that "It's not where you do it, it's what you do". So many kids are under the impression, I have to get into college X to get a good job when that simply isn't true. Yes it's good to strive for colleges and whatnot, but don't get hung up on "because I didn't get in, I'm a failure". That's simply not true :)

To the accepted applicant:

Congratulations! I would like to say congrats to a battle well fought. I wish you the best of luck on your undergrad journey. However, this is just the beginning. There is lots more to be done. We still have entire lives ahead of us, and great things to achieve in those lives. Do not lose sight of why you are getting an education. Do not lose sight of your goals and chase money. Also never forget where you came from. Use that as fuel to guide you where you're going. 

*bonus* To those not going to college:

Whatever the reason may be, remember that education does not simply mean a book and a pencil. Remember that education is a lifelong journey, and that wherever you go, I urge you to continue your education and keep striving to gain new knowledge in whatever form - whether it be street smarts, leadership in the armed services, or so on. 

Whatever category you fall in to, I wish you the best of luck. I really do. I look forward to the great things our generation will accomplish. People say our generation has lost it's culture, taste, and viability. Let's prove them wrong :)

- BlueJay 18

Muslim in America

So just a quick recap I'm a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim. Now before I get a plethora of posts asking what exactly that is, let me explain briefly. In Islam there are two main branches Shia and Sunni. The Shia believe that after Prophet Muhammad, Ali continued the leadership of the faith and became the Imam. As Ismaili's we trace this lineage down through time to our current leader His Highness the Aga Khan.

Muslim In America

I've been meaning to do this blog post for quite some time now but I just keep pushing it off. So as I sit here on a Saturday night, I've finally built up my resolve to share with the world what being a Muslim in America really means. 

Growing up in America, I always hid my religion. It was much easier to say "I'm spiritual, but not religious" than to explain being a Muslim only to face a slew of terrorist accusations and being asked if my uncle was Osama. It was much easier to explain that I had an allergy to pork or to say I go out with family Friday nights than to explain it was due to my religion.

A lot of it had to do with the media portrayal of Islam. Somehow when a Muslim committed an act of violence, his actions defined the psyche of over 1.6 Billion people. However, if someone that was not Muslim committed a massive atrocity (such as I don't know say shooting up a crowded movie theater) well he was clearly just a disturbed individual. While we as an American society focused on the 6% of attacks on US soil that were due to Muslims, somehow we overlooked the other 94% of non-Muslim attacks as "weird occurrences" .

However, I find it impossible to keep being secretive about my religion. The nature of Shia Islam creates a stout bond between spirituality and religion. And in turn religion has an inextricable fusion with my daily life. It's those core principles that have guided my life. It's those core principles that have taught me to care for my fellow people, to volunteer, and to give back to my community.

I read something very interesting the other day. I forget who the exact author was but it went something along the lines of  "The quote on the Statue of Liberty doesn't say 'give me your English-speaking only, Christian-believing, heterosexual masses.' It says 'give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, tempest-tost.'"

I am not writing this blog post for sympathy. I guess the nature of this post is really a "coming out" of sorts. I'm done hiding my religion. I am a proud Muslim and I am also a proud American and No I'm not a terrorist. GASP. Yes they really do exist. 

Senioritis

Senioritis....It Exists

I know I mentioned senioritis in my first post, but the issue needs some serious attention. Let's travel back to second semester junior year. All my senior friends were already in college, and I heard faint whispers of "senioritis". At that point in time I had no idea what it was. However a quick search on Urban Dictionary fixed all that. 

Senioritis - n. A condition caused by anticipation to graduate and already being accepted to college. Symptoms include no motivation and decreased student performance. 

Being the overachiever I was, I thought to myself "There is no way that will happen to me! That's baloney!" 

Fast forward to my second semester of senior year. Senioritis exists people. It's real. No matter how hard you try to resist, it will pull you into its web. The urge to watch Netflix all night is way too high. Homework is done during lunch. To sum it up, the struggle is real.

However, I can't let myself succumb to this disease! I will fight! To all my seniors out there I say, "we can do this!" I mean come on how hard can it be? Let's think about this. Its January 29th. Lets just say February for all intents and purposes. I mean we technically only have one month of learning left before review starts. Then April/May = finals and AP exams (I don't really know how IB schedules work). 

If that isn't motivation enough remember all admissions are tentative pending final transcripts. Can you imagine how awkward it would be to be on the phone with Ad Comms. trying to "explain"?

Well, this blog is coming to an end. In other news I've finished all the seasons of Scandal, White Collar, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Arrow, and House of Cards. 

Anyone have any suggestions for Netflix shows?

Also it's snowing...IN GEORGIA!

- BlueJay18

  

The True Purpose of Education

All too often when I ask someone, "why do you want to be a doctor/lawyer/etc.?", I get the reply "so I can be rich and have lots of money."

That saddens me. It really does. But can we really blame the students? With job uncertainty growing, what's wrong with wanting to get a high paying job? But is that really success? Is waking up day after day to an unfulfilled life really success?

I think a large part of the issue stems from the way we have shifted our views on education. Education has devolved and turned into a brute race for the best resume. Gone are the days when kids joined clubs because they enjoyed them. Instead it has turned into a frenzy for leadership positions, and rote community service so one can get into a good college. Society drills the statement "I need to be rich" into each of our heads. 

As a result of this, we (as a collective society) have began substituting our short term goals as long term goals. Goals such as getting into college X or job Y should not be considered the end game. If anything they are the beginning.  I have always thought of long term goals to be intangible. How one changes the world, how one uses their education to help others, those have always been what I considered long term goals. It's sad that those (long term) goals are often put on the back burner. Somewhere along the line we lost sight of our passions, and became slaves to our ambitions. 

Now I'm not here to right off our generation or society, because I too am a part of this generation and society. Do I have a magic bullet or a cure? Not necessarily. The change that needs to occur isn't achievable by one teacher or one student, but rather needs to be the conscious effort of a society. If we can change the statement "I need to be rich" to "I need to follow my passions", I guarantee that we will be much better of. 

- BlueJay18

What are your thoughts on the value of education? Share your thoughts below :)

Last Semester of High School

Hello! Welcome to my blog!

I was given this idea by a friend who thought it would be cool to blog my undergrad years so that 20 years from now I could look back and laugh at myself. Now that I'm in my last semester of high school and have been accepted to Hopkins (aka the best school in the world) I figured I'd kick things off.

Over the next four years I'll blog about anything and everything from relaxed laid back blogs like this, or my views on world affairs, to research on antibiotics.

However, before we get started here's a little about me. I feel like if I'm going to be sharing my life with you for the next four years (wow that sounds weird) you should get to know me a little. I was born in India and I moved to Georgia when I was six. My last meal would most likely be country fried steak, gravy and mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, biscuits with honey and jam, plus a 2 gallon container of sweet tea. I think a person's last meal says a lot about them. Personally mine just means I have a deep and intimate relationship with sugar and butter.

I eventually want to be a doctor. Why you ask? Well, as cliche as it sounds I like to help people, and I like biology. I feel as if a doctor not only treats the body but also the soul, and the smile on a patients face would be extremely gratifying. We will save my views on holistic care for another time :)

Anyway, now that you know me and my crazy self, lets get the show on the road ey?

So here we are, last semester of high school. Man, its crazy to think of. One day I could barely walk and now I'm graduating. To be honest, I have mixed feelings. Part of me can't wait to leave. I can't wait for the new experiences, new friends, and new inside jokes that await me. I just want to get done with this semester (I'm currently battling senioritis), and go!

However, the other part of me is nervous. It's a whole new town, new place, new people. What if I don't fit in? What if I'm that kid? Life is going by so quickly, and it's almost forcing us to mature faster. But in the end (being the existentialist that I am) I know that life will be what I make out of it, and I plan to invest my four years at Hopkins. Also my classmates seen pretty cool. So that's nice. Also we have a waffle maker in the food court. Which is also nice, because I like waffles.

Anyways, I smell a frozen pizza calling my name so I'm off! Till next time mis amigos.

- BlueJay18