It’s hard to predict how a global pandemic will affect us in the future. In what ways will things change? What will stay the same? Will COVID-19 ever go away? These questions pose great worries for me.

   Being a junior in high school, knowing this is your most important year academically that will help you get into college, it’s quite scary. You have to focus the most on your grades, building a reputation, and of course, taking the SAT or ACT. Now, it feels like our main focus is to stay healthy and social distance.

   Now, of course, doing this is extremely important, but right now, it’s like I have no clue what my future holds anymore. So much can change after this and personally, it feels like that new chapter in our life of having those common nerves of taking the SAT, touring thousands of colleges, going to multiple college fairs, etc. I could have done all of this stuff prior to this, but I unluckily had all of it scheduled during the outbreak. This, of course, brings me questions like, should I have done this stuff sooner? What would have happened differently if I did? Though I try to remember that it’s not my fault that a global pandemic jumped into my life and I shouldn’t blame myself for the things I cannot control.

   My worries about getting preparing and applying to college also pose more questions in my head like, will there be enough time after all of this is over to take the test, tour colleges, and apply? The next scheduled SAT is during the fall. That means for me, and a lot of other students, we have to keep studying and make sure we don’t forget anything important. This definitely could make me a stronger test taker when it comes to the SAT, but it could also make me a lazy person. I lack motivation for things that get pushed back when I’ve been working extremely hard for it over time. Especially in this case because I have no guesstimate when I will next take the rescheduled SAT. Sometime in the fall maybe? Virtually over the summer? Who knows. I definitely do not want to be worrying too much about taking the SAT during my senior year of high school though.

   Another thing put off is College tours. All tours are of course canceled to help lower the spread of the virus, but Luckily, given the technology we have today, some colleges host virtual tours. Personally, I didn’t enjoy them, but it is the best we have, so I try to not take it for granted. I just wish I could experience the feeling of walking onto a college campus and knowing if that college is the right fit for you.

   Although, I can’t even begin to imagine what the seniors are feeling and what they’re going through either. In the long run, I hope that if everyone is staying isolated and distanced from others, things will start to ease back into normal around the end of May. I hope that’s not an unrealistic aspiration, but it is what I’m looking forward to. However, it is okay to worry. I just try to keep a positive and healthy mindset and remember that this is all temporary and it’s not just me going through this, it’s the whole world too. All in all, I strongly believe that things happen for a reason and it can only make us stronger. We can only go up from here!