If you are like most upperclassmen, you are receiving countless letters from colleges in the mail every day. For me, this started happening about two months ago. One day some letters came and ever since then I get at least three a day. Emails, letters, phone calls, the whole nine yards.

All these letters pretty much say the same thing: “You show great potential and are accomplished, motivated and unique. We are so thrilled to contact you… etc.” Then, they have a website to go to take a quiz about if such and such college is right for you.

If each letter says the same thing, how do I know that they are sincere? These letters I assume are just mass-produced and sent out to thousands of high schoolers. These letters make me feel nothing more than just any average student.

All I can think is, I am a junior trying to pass my AP classes I am taking in high school. How am I suppose to pick a college I want to spend the next four years at, and a major that is going to be what I do for the rest of my life.

When fall 2015 comes around, I’ll most likely be applying to colleges. Though I am not a fan of high school, I feel that it is a comfort zone. It’s the same monotonous routine for four years but at least I know what to expect. College signals a new chapter in my life. That excites and terrifies me at the same time.

As a student taking three AP classes, I am already stressing about finals, and it’s still a month away. I’m wondering how I’m going to regurgitate everything I’ve learned to rewrite notes and make flash cards for round one of finals.

Before my statistics test the other day, I was taking my last few moments not studying like I should have, but on Twitter. Someone had tweeted, “You are more than a number.”

The more I thought about it the more I realized it was true. In high school these days it’s always about what grade do you have, high or low? What’s your GPA? What did you get on the ACT? How high did you get on your test?

Education is important, so most people say, and I couldn’t agree more. However, the evolution of education has changed greatly from its origins. I have heard many people think along a similar line of thought as this: elementary school is preparation for middle school; middle school is preparation for high school; high school the ultimate determination for college. College seems to be the end all be all, the final door that reveals a happy, successful and financially sound life.

Education has transformed into a competition, much of which I have personally experienced. I have found myself peer editing another student’s paper and thinking about how my own essay rivals theirs. While I converse in class discussions I am at the same time, wondering how my participation grade will compare to the person’s next to me.

I am not a number. I am not my GPA, my ACT score, or my class rank. I am an individual who wants to be known as more than a number. I am a junior trying my best, giving it my all. And I don’t think I could do much more while balancing three AP classes, a job, being an editor on the newspaper, and a staff member of MCJROTC here at North High School. It’s tough enough being a seventeen-year-old girl let alone juggling everything else.

Let’s face it; education has become less about learning and more about competition.

I am, too, very guilty of seeing school as a competition that I must come out on top in, but after many steamy showers spent contemplating life’s issues, I have decided to try and stress less about my grades and simply enjoy the experience as a whole.