When I Was 17: Take A Break

Photo by Matthew Payne on Unsplash

My goal for all of my seniors is to be completely done with their college applications by the time they go on vacation for winter break. Having that endpoint in mind makes it possible for us to plan ahead and stagger deadlines to hit that mark. Of course, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the end-of-December confluence of college applications and family responsibilities and finals works against that goal, and we find ourselves wrapping things up in January. But for the most part, that deadline is manageable and a really helpful thing to have in mind.
 
In order to get to take that break though, we have to work really hard up until that point. That often means doing things well in advance of the actual deadline, which can be a difficult thing to trick yourself into doing. But if my students can manage it, they get to spend their winter break eating cookies, watching movies, and enjoying time with their families. I also want to spend my Friday after Christmas eating cookies, watching movies, and spending time with my family, so I’m writing this post a week beforehand. That way, I can virtually be in two places at once: posting this on Friday morning and also curled up on the couch with my new Christmas presents. I hope you’re doing the same today. Happy holidays!

---