Toward the conclusion of my MSMS career, certain things are increasingly becoming evident: calculus and college applications are harbingers of the apocalypse, my tolerance for teenage etiquette is draining, and my time here is both dragging on and accelerating at an infinite rate toward May.

One of the final nails in my metaphorical coffin was the annual College View put on by our institution every year at the Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus. The event, which is organized by MSMS but open to all local schools, calls representatives from colleges and universities across the country to recruit students to direct their application fees and eventual tuition towards their schools. 

Last year when I walked into the overwhelming environment, it meant something completely different. I was still discovering the complexities within myself and trying to reason what I wanted to spend the rest of my adult life pursuing. I saw myself at pretty much every college and they each told me what I wanted to hear.

I left College View last year carrying my mountains of college gear and feeling starry-eyed and hopeful. Of course, the eventual burnout of junior year struck me lightning hitting a tree in the gentle countryside and my views on college and my future became increasingly doubtful.

This year, when I walked into the annual College View, I had a mission. I knew what colleges I wanted to make a good impression with, I knew what questions to ask and how to ask them, and most importantly, I knew what I wanted to do. After maneuvering the booths and chatting up all the representatives, I was finally ready to exit the exhibition. 

When I was waltzing out of Trotter Convention Center, I felt a smooth calmness within myself. I reminded myself that even though the devil works hard, MSMS makes me work harder. I remembered the exact place I was last year and how I felt. Though I had transformed from the starry-eyed junior to a droopy-eyed senior, I remain anxious and ambitious about my future.

So, juniors that may be worried about their educational future post-MSMS: take your time. Things will fall in place and you will find your voice in your corner of the world. It’s okay to not know what college you want to go to, and it’s okay to pick somewhere and change your mind. Be ambitious about your college choices and shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.