To those big social-media enthusiasts, many of you may have seen the recent posts on Facebook about college admissions. It’s almost as if future college attendees chose, the second they receive the acceptance e-mail to report their acceptance in a status for the world to see.
I am not a big facebook-er, and am continuously surprised that every time I log into the site (I refuse to get the app on my phone) my newsfeed is completely crowded with congratulations and excitement. As I scroll, I’d like to be happy for my peers.
However, this feeling of wanting to feel happy for others is usually taken over with pangs of jealousy. “That person is not going to Illinois!” “Oh wow, they got into [some other school that, all of a sudden, sounds monstrously more awesome than any of the ones I got into].”
Scroll after scroll. My heart sinks deeper and deeper. If only Cymbalta could help me now. I start to reminisce about freshman year afternoons when I would fail to correctly study for my biology test, or sophomore year when I took Geometry and laughed at proofs until tests came back. That’s when I cried because of proofs.
And suddenly, I’m stuck in a classic 1940’s film set in late spring. The rain streams down the window and I stare out of thinking about life and how much mint chocolate chip ice cream I need.
Then I remember that I didn’t even apply to these schools and am only slightly relieved.
Luckily, I can pull myself out of self-pity by now I have needed to do it my whole life. So let me tell you why I think posting things on Facebook is actually an awesome thing.
The common student works hard throughout their entire high school career for this exact moment. Even as freshmen, we were thinking about it. This admittance has been the end goal. Although college counselors disagree, (and so do I, I think this is a sad sentence, #IGSS) you have been working for your dream college, so being realistic, enjoy the occasion. It makes sense to show off.
However, this isn’t even a show off-y thing to do. It’s more like participating in a senior tradition. With the amount of statuses I have seen, it seems as if a majority of the class posts. Posting your acceptance is like joining in the party of big-sighs-of-relief and second-semester-senior madness.
It is sharing with your community of the senior classes where you are heading for the next four years of your life. Beyond my envy, pit-of-despair problems, I love seeing where my classmates are going. At the root of the matter, I am so happy for my fellow classmates on their accomplishments and destinations.
The one thing that I fear with this entire social media sharing is the feelings of those who did apply to a school and didn’t get in. My annoyance stems from an irrational place, as I had no chance of getting into certain colleges because I didn’t apply to them. With others, this case proves different.
For many schools, a large portion of the applicants from New Trier are highly qualified. Some are more sensitive than others to their rejection letters, but it’s always smart to be conscious of what you are posting.
If you are going to celebrate your acceptance via media, make sure you keep your enthusiasm to a minimum. We are all glad you are excited, but keep in mind the other students sulking in their room with disappointment.
After you’ve gone through the torturous task that is logging into your school’s admission site to then screw up typing in your password 4 times and then finally getting the news, the only thing I would want to do is scream it from the rooftops.
Good thing we have Facebook because I think I’m too lazy to climb on my roof.