BY SARAH PHILLIPS, Durant High

I’m a junior, and I’m worried.  •  Ever since I was a kid, I have been a fan of Florida State. My dad started drilling his FSU love into me at early age and it stuck. FSU is the only school I would ever want to attend; it’s perfect for me in so many ways. The colonial-style campus styled with brick, the climate and, overall, the school’s impeccable atmosphere.

So when I think of the day I receive my decision letter and it starts with “I’m sorry, but ...,” the thought is comparable to a vision of hell. Not getting into Florida State University would be a living nightmare. My life would be completely ruined. I don’t want to attend the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and, clearly, not the University of Florida.

This thought pops into my head a lot these days, as I hear the seniors around me cheering or wailing about their college letters. It happens especially when I get a bad grade. Will those couple of failed precalculus tests mean I won’t get into FSU?

 Then there are those community service hours. It seems as though my mom nags me about community service from the time I wake up ’til the time I go to bed. Thanks to the increased number of hours required for Bright Futures, I now need 100 hours. And I have zero. I tell myself I’ll get them done over the summer, but that’s what I said last year.

Scholastic Assessment Test. SAT. The T stands for torture. I haven’t taken the daunting test yet; the practice exams intimidate me. My Advanced Placement language and composition class is preparing me for this test with vocabulary. I’ve tested on 175 words so far, and probably know a solid 10. Who can possibly memorize that many words, let alone their definitions? Vocabulary is just a minuscule fraction of what I’ll be tested on during the SAT. The idea of not scoring the minimum for FSU admission requirements gives me a mini-heart attack.

I’m trying to see the glass half full. At least I’m getting some of the worry out of the way before my senior year.