Whew! The first month of school has flown by. It has been a challenge to juggle all of my schoolwork, college applications, studying for the ACT and other tests, and student council planning and activities. One helpful stress management strategy has been to make lists of things to do. This week, on the top of my to-do list, is getting teacher recommendations. I plan to provide my teachers with my resume to assist them in writing their letters of recommendation. Another priority for me is to make folders for each college that I’m applying to with all the deadlines and required materials.

October is the month of our fall homecoming so I have had to get to school early and stay late almost every day for planning, decorating, building a float, and practicing for powder-puff (where girls play football and boys cheerlead . . . I play fullback) and the Senior Girls Dance (all of us perform a funny dance at the pep rally). These activities are really bringing the class together—the usual cliques are almost nonexistent and we, as seniors, are working toward a common goal: beating the juniors in powder-puff. I know it sounds trite, but it’s so awesome to see everybody together; girls who haven’t spoken since middle school talking as if they have been friends forever, the jocks and the mathletes working on a crossword together in study hall . . .

It’s hard to find a moment to spare with all the new fall activities. But when I do, I use it to watch “The Office”—my favorite show ever. It’s also important to me to make time to watch the news, especially because this is an election year, and the outcome of this November election can potentially affect our country and the world for at least the next decade.

Last weekend I was in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, visiting my sister at Bucknell University. This was the last “Family Weekend” our family attended for her, since she is now a senior. It’s weird to think that next year, they will be visiting me at my college! It was a great weekend. We went to an a capella concert (a Family Weekend tradition), saw her dorm and her friends, met some of her professors, and walked around the campus.

More and more, I am beginning to develop a clearer picture of myself at college. For any of you who can visit a college for an extended period, I would really recommend it. I haven’t had any overnight stays in a dorm yet, but I definitely want to. I plan to take advantage of this opportunity once I find out where I’ve been accepted. My hope is that getting a closer look at the campuses will help me ultimately decide which school is the best fit.

Happy Fall! And if you are taking the October ACT, good luck!