Man, it’s that time of the year again; when the smell of freshly sharpened pencils meet the crispness of lined pages waiting to be filled with horrid calculus, Shakespeare, and history. This routine that we go through every September... when does it ever stop?

However, as I begin my last year of high school these are surprisingly not the thoughts that are running through my head. Instead I’m worrying about getting accepted to the college of my choice, finishing research projects, and yes those gosh-darn SATs. In between, there’s even a bit of wistfulness when I realize that this is my last year of high-school.

I’ve disliked the routine of high school as long as I can remember, everything from running miles for freshman gym and then walking up six flights of stairs, to getting those dumb pop quizzes. But then when I think about how many great friendships I made over the years, how many life lessons I learned, and most importantly how much I learned about myself, I think that it could be almost worth it. Key word being almost.

Now as I realize the whole point of high school and embark on getting accepted into a college of my choice, I am still confused. Do I want to go to a fancy ivy-league college to satisfy my parents’ constant naggings, so that I have the pleasure of watching people’s mouths drop open when I tell them what college I am attending? Or do I want to go to a college that I truly like and is a perfect match for my personality, skills and abilities but has a name that no one’s heard of before? Or do I even want to go to college? Will it be another four years of torture filling my head with useless junk?

Well, one thing I’m certain about is that I’m going to college. And I ’d love to find the perfect college ... that satisfies both my parents and myself. But I’ve got to be realistic. I think maybe I will reflect some more this year so that I can find my perfect college, because it’s certainly out there, just waiting for me.