“You should try switching to Advanced Geometry. It’ll look better on your college apps,” my twin sister suggested while waving her chopsticks at me. “No!” I spat back and shoveled a spoonful of rice into my mouth. It’s only freshman year. Why would we need to consider college applications already?

The next day, my sister said something similar: “You should try dropping Creative Writing for Spyglass. It’ll look better on your college apps.” I groaned. Every time she would even bring up the word “college”, I would mentally cover my ears. 

As my exasperation with my sister grew, so did my realization that she might be right. 

The more my family brought up the topic of college, the more pressure I felt to choose more demanding courses, which led me to join Spyglass. Although I originally preferred Creative Writing because of its more imaginative writing topics, publishing for the school newspaper is a larger time commitment and appears more impressive on applications.

My mentality was that I would start high school by taking one rigorous course and opting into the standard course for the rest. So, since I had already stepped up for a challenge by taking Spyglass, I decided not to switch into Advanced Geometry. I have no regrets about my decision to take regular Geometry regardless of my family wanting me to challenge myself.  No matter how impressive taking Advanced Geometry might have looked on my transcript, the most important thing is my understanding of the subject. 

In addition to having impressive grades and getting involved in electives, sports are a huge part of my life, and I have heard from my peers that they are a large factor in college applications, too. Figure skating has been a passion of mine since 2018, but like Spyglass, it is a large commitment. From early mornings to late afternoons, the majority of the hours in my day are spent in the rink. Like my sister, my mother has constantly reminded me how unique figure skating is and how good it would look on my applications. 

While the image of how figure skating and Spyglass might appear in a college application occasionally interrupts my fondness for them, the sensation of achievement while standing on the podium or finally publishing for an edition after countless hours of editing reminds me why I love these activities. Being able to incorporate my creative writing skills in a personal narrative article or perform my favorite spins during competitions and practices will always be a piece of myself that I appreciate and am proud of. My choice to stay in regular Geometry has boosted my confidence and made it easier for me to comprehend the classwork step by step, rather than being rushed to cram for a quiz on a lesson I can barely grasp. 

For the next four years of high school, my goal is to choose what is best for me both intellectually and emotionally. Whether it is staying in regular math or feeling pressured by my family to take more laborious extracurriculars, I would like to remind myself that prioritizing my understanding of a subject and finding contentment in an activity is more important than worrying about how it may turn out on an application.