Students hustle during the holidays

As the Christmas season approaches, the holidays are notorious for bringing stress and anxiety to college-bound students — not the type of stress that comes from preparing the perfect Christmas dinner, finding the most appropriate presents for family and friends or putting on a joyful façade to spread Christmas cheer, but that of setting the foundation for your educational career, which marks the beginning of your life transition from adolescent to adult.

With application deadlines approaching, the pressure is on. Nov. 30 marked the cut-off date to apply for the Fall 2009 semester at all University of California campuses (UCLA, UCSD, etc.). So, for me, my Thanksgiving holiday was spent working on my college applications. Now all I can do is hope that what I have accomplished with my life so far is sufficient.

But stressful times are not quite past. Now approaches the date for the SATs, where an accumulation of 12 years of education is tested. For those seniors who are planning to further their education at college, most of their spare time is usually devoted to studying for the SATs.

It all comes down to three hours and 45 minutes of standardized evaluation, where in one test, the one-sixth of the average person's life spent in grade school will either make you or break you.

New Life Christian School's counselor, Mr. Crawford, put the SATs in perspective when he said: "The SATs measure only what you know for that day."

I asked various NLCS students what comes to mind when they think about the SATs. "Panic," cringed senior Sarah Gatlin.

Junior Ricky Laughlin said: "Overwhelming and extreme pressure."

"A lot of pressure is weighed on the SATs ... they make it seem as if it determines your future success," said junior Haley Waters.

I share the same feelings; standardized tests are a good measuring tool to determine how much knowledge one has learned — but knowledge isn't all that it takes to be successful in life.

For me, in the back of my head there were always the nagging cloud of deadlines, my conscience telling me to study, how to sound original and unique on the standard application forms and the question of "Am I good enough?" or, "Do I have what it takes to get into the college of my choice?"

But once it's all said and done, there is just enough time to enjoy what's left of Christmas, although in the three months that follow, I will wait in anticipation for that college letter of acceptance or rejection.

For those who have already gone to college and now have a career, maybe you can relate, but to those who have not yet gone through this experience, the time to start thinking about your future is now.

Christina Toledo is a senior at New Life Christian High School. Her column appears every sixth week in Education.