Sick of College Stuff

I am so sick of preparing for college. I stress out all the time, there is always an essay to revise or a SAT to study for. On top of all that I have to do my normal school work. It is getting to the point that I'm ready to give up. Then there is the fear that none of the schools I want to get into will accept me. Most people I've talked to have this same fear. I'm just so ready for second semester to be here. Then its all just a waiting game. I hope that hearing that I'm also stressing out makes others feel better about their own melt downs. I want to give a big thanks to Miss. Elliott for reading over my college essays about 20 times, I hope they let my personality shine through. This is one of my college essays.

My College Essay

Before this year, I took my ability to make social interactions for granted; however, after an impromptu change in my schedule, I became the Teacher’s Aid for a class in the Special Education Department primarily comprised of kids with Autism and I saw that social grace is not a luxury everyone has.

Walking into that class, I had no clue what to expect; was I going to be like a babysitter? How independent would these kids be? My nerves were getting the better of me. If these kids didn’t accept me, I didn’t know what I would do. I was afraid it would be difficult to treat them the way I would any of my other classmates. Upon entering, the first question I heard was an abrupt, “Who are you?” I knew Alex, the source of the question, was going to be my biggest challenge. He is one of the tallest Freshmen I’ve seen. His height allows him to walk around with an air of cockiness. He is only going to do what he wants, nothing more. We sat down every day and fought the same battle. “Come on, Alex, read your book.” “No! I don’t want to.”  These words were filled with a sound of superiority. As the battle went on into the next week, I did the only thing I could think of. “If you read your book, I will play Rock, Paper, Scissors with you.” The answer was still, “No.” By the time Friday came around, I was ready to throw in the towel; I decided to try one more time. “Alex, would you take the quiz on your book for me?” and to my surprise his answer was, “Yes.” He got a 90% on his quiz. I never knew someone else’s A would give me one of my happiest moments.

The time I’ve spent with Alex and the other kids in this class has changed my view of them. Kids with Autism are like anyone else-- they play video games, have inside jokes, and like to spend time with friends. Sometimes, they have a hard time enjoying these activities because they are viewed as different.

I no longer consider these students my responsibility; they have become my friends and when it comes time for me to graduate, I will miss them dearly. They have shown me the most important lessons in life: people can over come their disabilities; I did. To think of someone as less valuable than you is a true tragedy.