Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

Here I am, sitting in my car at the stoplight. My eyes drift from the red light above to my rear-view mirror, watching the lady behind me frantically try to apply her make-up. My thoughts begin to wander; I look over, out the window, and something catches my eye. Something that I’ve always seen, since the day I turned 12 and was old enough to sit in the front seat, but never really noticed.

What did I notice, you may ask? These words: “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”, in the bottom corner of my sideview mirror. Why do they put these words on here? I think its to warn people that , hey , things aren’t always as they seem in this mirror.

And as I’m sitting here, I’m reminded of something that this very phrase applies to: college. Some people have this distorted view of college, just as this mirror has of the world. They think that college is just a dot far off on the horizon, when in fact it is approaching really quickly. It’s too bad, though, that life doesn’t come with a warning like those mirrors.

Coming into high school, I had this idea planned out of how it would go: Freshman year I’d come to Leesville, fresh-faced and more than a little lost. New friends, new schedule, new school, new teachers. It would be my year to adjust to this new place. Next would come sophomore year. Now, in my mind, I was thinking it would be a relaxing year. One last year to chill before the craziness of college visits and seriously picking schools.

But looking at this mirror really gets me thinking that college is just like the cars that are coming to a stop behind me. It may seem far off in the distance, but really it’s coming up closer and closer everyday. I’ve got to start preparing for it now and not let anything get in my way.

I’m sure there are plenty of kids who think the same way I do, particularly sophomores. We’re sorta stuck in the middle: We hear talk of college all around us, sometimes daily.

What can we do about it? It is time to start finding something that you’re interested in. Find hobbies or subjects that you’re good at and stick with them. Think about possible careers and college majors, because these will help you get into a good school.

But most of all, don’t wait until the last minute or surely you will end up with unnecessary stress. People who procrastinate don’t really get anywhere. They create these self-imposed roadblocks, stopping them before they ever get started, like a traffic light stuck on red. Not me. Even though I’ll admit I’m kind of at a loss when it comes to college, I want to be prepared for my future, and I don’t want anything to get in my way.

Well, my light is green now. It’s my time to go.