How to IMSA: A Final Note

Well, IMSA, here it is. The last week of school.

As happy as we, your columnists, are about our 3-month respite from the homework/sleep deprivation cycle, we’re considerably less happy to be saying goodbye to How to IMSA. Writing this column has been a hallmark of not just our Acronym careers, but of our entire junior years, and we’re sad to see it end.

Being the sentimental writers we are, we’d like our very last column entry to offer some final advice on summer vacation.

For sophomores: celebrate. You just survived your first year at IMSA – a feat that (on average) 20% of your admitted class haven’t managed. Chill out, celebrate, and enjoy your vacation. You can use the time to pursue those projects of yours that you just didn’t have time to work on during the school year; take some summer classes for fun or for college credit; explore a hobby; or just enjoy the beautiful feeling of doing nothing.

For juniors: hibernate a bit & then…Common Application. Sorry, but it needs to be done. Based on a few chats with current seniors, we recommend hibernating for the first 7-14 days of summer vacation before starting on your dreaded Common Application essay. Pro tip: in order to create the illusion of progress, complete the easy parts first (that is, the standard applicant info).

For seniors… Chat with your fellow Class of 2023, whether that’s IMSA students or other kids attending your future college. Plan out what clubs you want to join in college, new things you want to try, reminisce on the good times at IMSA, and just revel in the feeling of having completed what has probably been the most challenging three years of your life up to this point.

To our awesome readers — IMSA students, faculty, staff, administration, parents, alum — thanks for sticking with us.

Yours truly,
Mara Adams & Grace Yue
Humor and Opinions Section Editors, 2018-19