zBlogging the Literary Life - Period 6/7 - AP College English - 2005/2006 - Oak Park River Forest High School

Episode 3: The Return of the Stranger

After finishing the Stranger, like Sam, I too saw a Meursault like moment--except it was within myself and not the basist of Modest Mouse. I didn't go to the ACT on Saturday. Boo to standardized tests. After taking the ACT 4ish times, I put my foot down. I was signed up to take it this past Saturday, but decided against going. Instead, I slept in, went to Panera, went to the library and worked on my applications and essays. So I spit upon the ACT and SAT. I refuse to ever take one again. They can have my wasted $40 some dollars. It is worth my sleep and dignity. (Plus I keep telling myself that if a school doesn't accpet me because of my ACT score, than I don't want to go there anyways... get back to me in March when we start getting letters back...)

I want the news, not the weather

Alright, I am becoming increasingly annoyed with this whole college process. The fact that I now can  have input into where I am going to live, catches me off guard, to say the least. I get to choose the people I want to surround myself with, the classes I want to take, and the climate I want to live in. And, after finally getting a chance to answer these questions, I have realized one thing- I don't know! For example, two of my top colleges are small liberal arts colleges in Maine, and, when I tell people that, their immediate response is, "Oh Maine! You must like the snow!" Well, I have no problem with snow, but I am certainly not in love with it. The reason I chose these schools was not because of their location, but rather, because of what they can offer to me as a person. Their sense of community appeals to me, as well as their academic prestige. The fact that they are located in Maine really does not mean anything to me. If these schools were to pack up and relocate to California, so be it. I will still want to go there, even without the rough climate. Basically, what I would like to know is if anyone else has encountered this problem? Do I just have some fairy tale notion of how the college search process is supposed to go that I think I should choose a school based on how it can shape me as a person?

College Essays: Managing Monotony and

In my attempt to juggle school, soccer, violin, super smash brothers, and college applications, I have succeeded as of late to live up to expectations, perhaps except for my Red Card against Hinsdale Central and these darn college essays. My problem is that it would seem that I am the perfect candidate for the general "What do You Bring to the Table?" prompt, seeing that I have not been sitting on my ass for the last seventeen years, but when I think about what I have to offer as meaningful attributes that would add the institution I'm applying to, I myself don't see singular experiences as so important. So then what is important to me? What do I hold in such regard that it defines my life on a daily basis? Surely that one time when I took that really cool trip was in fact cool but I don't even remember exactly how old I was, or if it was Amsterdam or Zurich where I saw those cool buildings and met those cool people. I guess what I'm getting at is that what defines me as a person isn't things that have "happened" as much as things that "are" on a daily basis. The only thing is, what am I to write about that affects my normal everyday life that is different from every other normal everyday kid out there?