Did you ever wonder how it would feel to be a twelfth grader? Let me try to “enlighten” you a little bit; it feels exciting, happy and sad. Basically, it feels very complicated.
The first thing you should know about 12th grade is that you will be very, very busy. Remember the weeks where you had to write two essays, one history paper, a Turkish book report and work for the math exam? That’s what you will be doing in your free time in your senior year. When you are actually working, you will be working on getting in a good university.
No matter where you wish to study, Turkey or abroad, getting into a good university is no piece of cake. If you decide to stay in Turkey, you will have to work for the YGS/LYS exams, which means that you will have to go to a dershane (weekends and after school!), solve hundreds of questions in your free time and worry about your mock-test results. Mentally, you will always remember that unfortunately Turkey has a limited number of good universities, that almost everyone is trying to get into them, and that one mistake will cost you the school of your dreams.
It’s not any easier when you work for a foreign university. Yes, the examinations (TOEFL, IELTS and the SAT) are easier than the Turkish system and are not as important, but you still have to work for them. And unlike the Turkish university entrance system, your work does not end with these tests. You have to write your CV (which is actually a lot harder than it seems), your personal essay (which is even harder) and supplement essays for all universities that you are applying to.
And with all this in your head, you also have to think about the emotional side. In a matter of months, you will not come to this school that has been your second home for five years (in our case, twelve years!), you will not see your friends everyday and you will be in a completely new environment.
On the good side, it feels like all the work you have done for the past five years is actually paying off. Your big dream of going to a good university is coming closer every day. And most importantly, you hang on to the thought that in a number of months, you will not be waking up at six o’clock every morning.
As I said, it really is complicated.
