| 1) Switched teachers sooner. There were cancelled lessons (usually on the day of), drama with the other students, and I didn't really learn anything. Current teacher is amazing . . . I improved more in the first week than I had in all ten months with previous teacher, and I began to love music again. It's amazing how much your teacher affects you!
2) Began searching earlier. There was too much panic at the beginning of this year about where to apply. Although I ended up with a pretty good bunch, it would have made the whole thing a lot less stressful.
3) Taken less AP classes. I dropped math in favor of a study hall, but I still ended up with four AP classes, which had waaaay too much homework to worry about in addition to practicing for a couple of hours every night. |