February Newsletter

By: Steele Parkerson

Dear Student,

Happy February! While I know this month is characterized by pink and red, hearts and chocolate, we aren’t all seeing February 2021 through rose-colored glasses. Especially now, since I know that our snow days are no longer fun but full of virtual classes. However, on the bright side, these freezing days full of hail and hard winds are the perfect time to focus on your class work. FOMO (fear of missing out) is extremely common when different families and people are going in and out of quarantine, but remember working hard now will pay off later. Staying home and focusing on school work right now is the smart and responsible move as we all continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking about being smart and responsible, it’s February and you’re over a month into 2021, so how are your New Year’s resolutions going? Did you start out strong, working hard towards whatever your New Year’s goals are? Most people do start out wonderfully, but after a few weeks, things start to get harder. Now, it’s possible that you decided to take a break in working towards your goals, which is very common. On the other hand, maybe you decided to really stick to your goals, so you have powered through all of January and some of February: if this is you, congrats, you’re already doing AMAZING. If you are part of the half that decided to take a break, do not feel like you have not accomplished your goals. A better way to think about achieving your New Year's goals is to think about them as a yearlong process that you’ll work towards to the best of your ability.

Some goals you have might include: crushing your ACT/SAT, finishing the last of your college applications, finishing your financial aid paperwork, and/or applying for scholarships. Depending on your score, the SAT or ACT can be one of the main steps towards going to college. You can find the dates for the SAT here and the ACT registration here. While I know taking a practice test doesn't sound as fun as binge-watching Bridgerton for the second time, taking time to become familiar with the directions and question types can really ease your worries about your test day performance. If you have already conquered your SAT and you're ready to apply to college, you might have realized how expensive the process can be. Take a look at this College Board resource, then talk with your guidance counselor about fee waivers. In addition to college applications, you might have realized how expensive going to college can be; make sure you look for scholarships and fill out financial aid applications like the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

While the February snow might not have you seeing the world through your rose-colored glasses just yet, think about all the potential these cold days can have if you use all this time stuck inside to better prepare yourself for your last years of high school and applying to college.