Who Am I Again?

I have always been pushed, by others and myself, to excel in academics. In middle school, I would diligently take notes during class and study them outside of class. Although the workload was minuscule compared to what would await for me in the latter years of high school, it still consumed most of my nights. I would come home to do my work, then check it, redo it, and check it again. I constantly was doing one problem several different ways, just to make sure I was correct. I joined clubs I did not really enjoy mainly because I wanted to be the best student in all things my middle school had to offer. I told myself it was worth it because people would notice all of the activities I was partaking in. I realized that in high school it would no longer be peers recognizing my large participation, but colleges. I thought it would become more important; the people that were judging my choices were now much more influential for my future. However, the summer before freshman year, I became aware that I no longer desired to do things just for the purpose of having people notice. 
I wanted to actually enjoy going to school and the activities I did. When I decided not to join activities or clubs I had done prior, my parents were confused. They wanted me to build my resume for college, and be well-rounded. I too wanted to build my resume, but I did not see a reason to be someone I was not. I knew I disliked certain things, so there was no reason for me to do those things besides making colleges more interested in me. I struggled with deciding if I should utilize some extracurricular opportunities that most colleges praise kids for doing, or only do the things that I personally found enjoyment in. My parents expected me to do much more than what I decided on, but I was content with my decision. I looked forward to my years of high school unlike prior years of schooling. I also expect myself to achieve much more than I probably can. I understand that not participating in groups could and may harm my chances in being accepted to selective colleges, but I hope to look back at high school and not regret only doing things for colleges to notice. 
When I leave for college, I know I will take time to ponder my high school experience. I will probably always question if I should have done more to impress colleges, but I believe I correctly chose to be myself and not the student a college craves for. Maybe my sentiment will change if I am not accepted into universities I would like to be, and then I will really have to think if I made the right choice. At least I will know my resume accurately reflects who I truly am, and colleges will not expect me to be more than that.