All I can say is that my point of view on high school and general opinion of public school education has changed drastically. And maybe not so much in a bad nor good way. It just changed. As they say, you gotta live before you learn. And I definitely lived and made a whole lot mistakes (especially on exams) before I learned. Not that I am not a hard-worker (which I definitely am), but like each first-year student says towards the end of their first summer in high-school: I wish I worked harder. And I think sophomore year is really the chance to make up for the past mistakes you've made because your head was on an entirely different planet like the whole year. Not blaming anyone else for that, of course, but I can say that I mostly learn after I've screwed up pretty bad. I know that's nothing unusual for a person, especially for one in her teens, but still, I am aware that at times I acted a bit immature and definitely not like a person who wants to raise her GPA. But I believe in changes, and no matter how cliche and pathetic and worn-out that might sound, I am willing to change.
From personal experience I can assure you that your mind most certainly grows on a whole other level all through the first year. It's like you've been put into a massive pool of hungry sharks and you're just a poor little nemo trying to find a safe place to hide, but the tough life of being a clownfish has forced you into growing a pair and dealing with things you always avoided or always hoped to never face. Well, all I can say is: Surprise, motherfuckers!
It is not in my intention to freak the living shit out of the future freshmen, but I think every student after the first year loses a bit of their common sense for having to deal with surviving the toughest season in a school year: spring. And not only that you must come out alive, you must literally shit A's while you do it. While I, to my great misfortune, do not belong among those specimen, I still have hope left and courage to go on. Which is quite a big deal. You see, after a hard year (which we all had, I'm sure), we all neglect ourselves for a while. Most commonly throughout summer holidays, but that's not the case with me. I really don't wish to reveal my super top secrets of how to "survive and also make something out of it" or whatever (in which, by the way, I totally win), but let's just say that I've got myself prepared for the next year real good (at least as far as a student whose life is on the line and holds onto that tiny bit of hope left can be prepared). It's not only that I can't take another failure the next year - it's much more than that. It's about proving myself to... Myself, of course. I realized that the first year is based on the fundamentals that you gain from elementary school, and if those are good you have nothing to worry about. It's when you give up on the first failure and you refuse to keep going (although you have no choice) the real battle with yourself starts. It's more than just hanging out and meeting new people. It's about trusting yourself and your abilities. Without trust, you have nothing.
Now, of course, enough about the tough times for a while. I must say I had a great time. I met a bunch new interesting people, people that make me laugh everyday. Without them I could never imagine myself now. The truth is, when I was in elementary school, I was too busy swimming and having early morning and late afternoon practices to have time to go out and meet new people. That's why my life was pretty dull back then. I literally had no friends, not even for the weekends. That's why I am so glad I met all those awesome people these year for whom I know they did mark and will mark my life a lot. What is sometimes even more important than education you gain in secondary school are friends. Those are the most important friends you ever make. Surely, you guys don't have to necessarily stick together even after graduation, but if you do - those are friends for life. Why? Well, one of the most important things I've realized in high school is that you grow up. You develop in a different way, you mature. And in that time you realize what company you fall in, what friends should surround you. Naturally, that doesn't always happen in the first year. Some even have difficulties finding themselves during the last year. I can count myself among those lucky people who have found this through the freshman year. Though I did go through some hard times as in class as in having faith in myself, I know one thing for sure: I know who are real friends. And that's the most important thing you have to gain from high-school, in my opinion. Of course, education is primary, but you gotta gain some personal experience, too.
Gaining personal experience is actually the tricky part. Cause each experiences them differently, each individual has different memories of high school and what sort of people they met in high school. That is what makes it so precious to make each individual's time spent in high school that much more worth spending and valuable. Because, in my experience, it is a lot easier to get good grades if there's good atmosphere going on in the school. It's a lot easier if you're surrounded by good and positive people who give you hope and will to go on. Sadly but commonly, things aren't so perfect. Except in the movies. Speaking of high school movies, just because of those, in fact, we have messed up expectations of high school and people in it. Because it's a lot harder than those movies might led you to believe and surely, there aren't any "mean girls" running the whole institution. Surely, there are popular kids, but it's far from what the movies show.
But that wasn't exactly my point. My point is that since everybody has different perspective of how they see high school, that is why we also develop in different ways through high school. Because only then we start to think in our own way, see things as we are and hang out with people similar to us (at least mostly). Then we start to realize what we want in life. But sadly, while this is a great time to develop and to create our own way of thinking, that is also a time when a piece of paper can determine the next few years of your life. Your future career will depend on it and so will the quality of your life. Too bad how things fall together, right?
But do not despair. You can still handle it. Even if your grades might suffer, one thing is for sure: you must stay true to yourself. Because once you get to know yourself, once you have faith in yourself you can achieve anything. You can move mountains with the courage and confidence you'll have. That's the tricky part I've been trying to say. It's hard to handle emotional and personal growth when you still have to keep up the balance of your GPA. High school is not about overcoming those "mean girls" everyone is dreaming about or winning the hottest guy in the football team. It's about overcoming yourself and winning yourself. It's really mostly about personal growth. In my opinion, that is what should always come first. Before all the guys and being the most popular girl in school. Before you achieve all that, you must achieve the personal goals and self-actualization for only then you'll be able to choose wise and by your own conscience.
You cannot achieve those goals if you keep blinding yourself and keep yourself busy with really insignificant things like popularity, which is for mediocre people, or always looking perfect. Maybe that can keep you on the top for a short while, but surely not on the long run. There's a great quote by unknown author: "More girls need to start searching for guys who have goals, ambitions, and crave success, because 10 years from now, swag isn't going to pay your bills." Damn sure it won't.
That's why, all through the high school, you can always 100% rely only on yourself. Set goals for yourself, challenge yourself and you'll soon realize that life is one huge challenge. High school should be fun and getting to know yourself and people around you, not questioning yourself and your abilities, because you are worth so much more than that. From experience, I can say that the worst thing that can happen in high school is people (no matter if those people are teachers or students) lowering your self-esteem, confidence and faith. That you can no longer keep your dreams as your own. The saddest thing that can happen is people telling you what to think and not how to think. I am sure not all high school professors are like that, thank god, and I am not saying all of ours are, but I am saying this is becoming a huge problem. People no longer want to go to school, they don't crave education like children their age used to in the past. They don't see education as a privilege anymore. Maybe they take it for granted. But when they are older they will realize that without education you are less than zero nowadays. Sure, some believe that even a diploma isn't guaranteed getting you a job, but I say it sure is a better start than having no education at all. How can people even fall for that bullshit? I know kids in Africa have more enthusiasm for education and they are truly aware of the benefits of at least some education. Here, where we have it all, we should be thankful for it.
Anyway, my side of story is pretty clear: sadly, I am not among those top students (yet), but I really still do have faith in the future. That I can do better. And so should everyone reaching new school year. Like Winston Churchill said: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
From personal experience I can assure you that your mind most certainly grows on a whole other level all through the first year. It's like you've been put into a massive pool of hungry sharks and you're just a poor little nemo trying to find a safe place to hide, but the tough life of being a clownfish has forced you into growing a pair and dealing with things you always avoided or always hoped to never face. Well, all I can say is: Surprise, motherfuckers!
It is not in my intention to freak the living shit out of the future freshmen, but I think every student after the first year loses a bit of their common sense for having to deal with surviving the toughest season in a school year: spring. And not only that you must come out alive, you must literally shit A's while you do it. While I, to my great misfortune, do not belong among those specimen, I still have hope left and courage to go on. Which is quite a big deal. You see, after a hard year (which we all had, I'm sure), we all neglect ourselves for a while. Most commonly throughout summer holidays, but that's not the case with me. I really don't wish to reveal my super top secrets of how to "survive and also make something out of it" or whatever (in which, by the way, I totally win), but let's just say that I've got myself prepared for the next year real good (at least as far as a student whose life is on the line and holds onto that tiny bit of hope left can be prepared). It's not only that I can't take another failure the next year - it's much more than that. It's about proving myself to... Myself, of course. I realized that the first year is based on the fundamentals that you gain from elementary school, and if those are good you have nothing to worry about. It's when you give up on the first failure and you refuse to keep going (although you have no choice) the real battle with yourself starts. It's more than just hanging out and meeting new people. It's about trusting yourself and your abilities. Without trust, you have nothing.
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| via: http://nocturnallexanna.blogspot.com/ |
Gaining personal experience is actually the tricky part. Cause each experiences them differently, each individual has different memories of high school and what sort of people they met in high school. That is what makes it so precious to make each individual's time spent in high school that much more worth spending and valuable. Because, in my experience, it is a lot easier to get good grades if there's good atmosphere going on in the school. It's a lot easier if you're surrounded by good and positive people who give you hope and will to go on. Sadly but commonly, things aren't so perfect. Except in the movies. Speaking of high school movies, just because of those, in fact, we have messed up expectations of high school and people in it. Because it's a lot harder than those movies might led you to believe and surely, there aren't any "mean girls" running the whole institution. Surely, there are popular kids, but it's far from what the movies show.
But that wasn't exactly my point. My point is that since everybody has different perspective of how they see high school, that is why we also develop in different ways through high school. Because only then we start to think in our own way, see things as we are and hang out with people similar to us (at least mostly). Then we start to realize what we want in life. But sadly, while this is a great time to develop and to create our own way of thinking, that is also a time when a piece of paper can determine the next few years of your life. Your future career will depend on it and so will the quality of your life. Too bad how things fall together, right?
But do not despair. You can still handle it. Even if your grades might suffer, one thing is for sure: you must stay true to yourself. Because once you get to know yourself, once you have faith in yourself you can achieve anything. You can move mountains with the courage and confidence you'll have. That's the tricky part I've been trying to say. It's hard to handle emotional and personal growth when you still have to keep up the balance of your GPA. High school is not about overcoming those "mean girls" everyone is dreaming about or winning the hottest guy in the football team. It's about overcoming yourself and winning yourself. It's really mostly about personal growth. In my opinion, that is what should always come first. Before all the guys and being the most popular girl in school. Before you achieve all that, you must achieve the personal goals and self-actualization for only then you'll be able to choose wise and by your own conscience.
You cannot achieve those goals if you keep blinding yourself and keep yourself busy with really insignificant things like popularity, which is for mediocre people, or always looking perfect. Maybe that can keep you on the top for a short while, but surely not on the long run. There's a great quote by unknown author: "More girls need to start searching for guys who have goals, ambitions, and crave success, because 10 years from now, swag isn't going to pay your bills." Damn sure it won't.
That's why, all through the high school, you can always 100% rely only on yourself. Set goals for yourself, challenge yourself and you'll soon realize that life is one huge challenge. High school should be fun and getting to know yourself and people around you, not questioning yourself and your abilities, because you are worth so much more than that. From experience, I can say that the worst thing that can happen in high school is people (no matter if those people are teachers or students) lowering your self-esteem, confidence and faith. That you can no longer keep your dreams as your own. The saddest thing that can happen is people telling you what to think and not how to think. I am sure not all high school professors are like that, thank god, and I am not saying all of ours are, but I am saying this is becoming a huge problem. People no longer want to go to school, they don't crave education like children their age used to in the past. They don't see education as a privilege anymore. Maybe they take it for granted. But when they are older they will realize that without education you are less than zero nowadays. Sure, some believe that even a diploma isn't guaranteed getting you a job, but I say it sure is a better start than having no education at all. How can people even fall for that bullshit? I know kids in Africa have more enthusiasm for education and they are truly aware of the benefits of at least some education. Here, where we have it all, we should be thankful for it.
Anyway, my side of story is pretty clear: sadly, I am not among those top students (yet), but I really still do have faith in the future. That I can do better. And so should everyone reaching new school year. Like Winston Churchill said: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
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