No Pressure....Just The Fate Of My Future

       These days, when applying to college, there are so many factors that decide what colleges accept what students. First and foremost, there are the grades. An impressive GPA certainly puts an application in the spotlight. Then there's extra curricular activities; colleges want to know that you don't spend all of your time sitting home and studying to maintain that GPA. A good essay can catch the eye of an admittance office worker. A solid interview can also tip the scales in your direction. However, what seems to be possibly the biggest ticket item on your application these days is the test that people prepare months in advance for. The exam that most students take several times in order to get a desirable score. That test is the ACT. That test is also what will be slapping me in the face bright and early tomorrow morning.
      All day long, my friends and peers have been telling me to relax and not freak myself out over this exam. They tell me it's only a test, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. All I've heard is "it's not that bad." and "you'll be fine!" But how can I go into this test and not be nervous? A great ACT score is what could set my college application apart from hundreds of others. A number on a piece of paper could be the difference between accepted and denied. The difference between reaching my aspirations of becoming a successful dermatologist and ending up being an unemployed med school reject. That's probably looking a bit on the pessimistic side of things, but I just refuse to take this test lightly.
    Every teenager must face this five hour exam sooner or later. We must work our way through the hundreds of multiple choice questions and attempt to craft an impressive essay under strict time constraints. However, I think it's about time that I start pumping myself up for this test; getting myself ready to face what lies before me. So here is my wonderful  pre-exam "get in the zone" method. First, I'll put on my inspirational playlist, so through my earbuds will come something like "Somebody To Love" by Queen or "And We Danced" by Macklemore (don't mock what gets me in the zone). Then I will repeat to myself: "I am going to kill this test. I am going to kill this test!" And then I'll just know that everything will be alright.
    So to all of those juniors out there like me who are out there cramming for tomorrow's ACT: it's 9:30. Close the books, put away the practice tests, and take a shower. Let the warm water relax your muscles and melt your anxiety. Cuddle up in your comfiest pajamas, get in your bed, and get a deep and long night of sleep. You'll wake up refreshed, relaxed, and ready to kill that test. Good luck to you, good luck to us all.