by Amelia Leone’24 and Anna Levi’24
Photos courtesy of: Lola Regard '22 (Top Left), Hudson Wong '22 (Top Right), Jonathan Bender '22 (Bottom Left), Sully Quezada (Bottom Right)
While the traditional high school experience is something the class of 2022 will never know, their unorthodox experience provides them with the clarity to overcome the most unthinkable odds, and truly understand how to make the most of the high school experience.
In light of this, we asked fourteen seniors to reflect on their time at NEST+m and provide insight into navigating the school’s busy halls and stressful college process.
Thanks to Jonathan Bender, Esther Bistricer, Justin Burkett, Jane Curry, Emmanuel Kaiser-Veyrat, Madison Loughlin, Nicholas Mancuso, Renelle Mark, Luca Palacardo, Marlen Popkin, Solana Quezada, Rachel Svoyskiy, Hudson Wong, and Justin Wu for providing us with their best tips and tricks to survive NEST+m.
Understand that the teachers really care about you as a student and genuinely want you to succeed. They are there for support and to make your experience positive.
After being away for so long, take better advantage of in-person school and appreciate it more.
Start the college process as early as possible.
Have no regrets.
Interact with classmates who you don’t normally talk to.
Balance school, colleges, and extracurricular activities with time spent with friends and family.
Cherish the environment and routines you’ve established.
Make memories you’ll look back on when you’re older.
Appreciate the tight community and being able to know everyone.
Prioritize your sleep.
Let having something to look forward to motivate you.
Make connections with teachers.
Realize and accept that perfection is a myth. Take risks and ask yourself and others around you bold questions.
You gotta get it done. That’s just it.
When things get overwhelming, take a minute to yourself to de-stress and listen to music.
Don’t take everything too seriously. Make jokes, laugh, embarrass yourself. Do things that will make you cringe thinking about later.
Cherish the small things like the $1 pizza slice or getting on the train at a certain time everyday.
Use the internet to your advantage during the college process by researching schools, places, and majors that interest you.
Appreciate every moment.
Understand that grades are not everything.
Get the common app essay done over the summer.
Ask questions when you don’t understand and attend teachers’ office hours.
Sports games and extracurriculars are really fun - join them!
Treat your college application like an interview and conversation.
Make the most of your time by trying new things and experimenting with yourself.
Appreciate the fact that NEST+m is a community where learning, empathy, and having fun come together.
Opmerkingen