The mailbox. The old, rusty thing you’ve walked by on your way home from high school for the past four years. The thing you hardly ever paid attention to unless it was your birthday and your grandparent was known to send a card with some cash.

That is—until now. If you are one of the high school seniors who has sent in your college applications you may be checking that old box (or email inbox if the college is really high-tech) every day. You may even be thinking about it during class at school or at night when you are trying to fall asleep. If you are, you aren’t the only one. stre
Waiting on a college letter to let you know if you got in or if you didn’t can be stressful. It can be even more stressful if in a couple weeks you find out a friend already got an acceptance letter from your dream school.

If your mailbox is empty when you get home from school, the first thing you can do is: take a deep breath, and then remind yourself the letter will eventually come. There’s nothing you can do so you might as well get back to what you usually do. That means go for a walk, talk to a friend, eat dinner, etc. and most importantly get some sleep! By doing these everyday things it can help keep your mind off the letter and help you relax.

If keeping to your everyday schedule isn’t helping, try talking with someone about your worries. Bring your thoughts up with your parent/guardian and your health care provider. They can help you get through this stressful time!

– Lauren