In these hallways time stands still as we glide within our final months of school. Hoping time would pause for a moment to let us articulate our upcoming future, we anticipate for the new beginning.
To be honest I thought the moment I would step into high school I would be the main character in a 90s Romcom. Finding the perfect man, having the perfect high school experience, and being the valedictorian, THE END!
Oh boy was I wrong.
Instead I was left with anxieties, traumas and fears. However, although high school did deliver me the worst moments in life, it also granted me the most golden experiences I will truly cherish.
I still remember the first day of freshman year, the excitement and thrill of finally being a “bigger” kid, yet the fear of being misplaced ran through me. However, high school allowed me to evolve into the person I am today. From taking my first hard courses to being involved in colorguard, it taught me that if I don’t truly love something then why do it, why put myself though that torture day by day?
When people say that your high school years go by very fast, they weren’t lying. To this day I still forget that I am graduating this year. Time literally flies away by the second when getting involved with AP courses and time-consuming activities. There have been moments where there is hardly any time for me to enjoy making memories with my friends from having to study all day for an exam. Although I do sometimes regret taking such courses that had my mental health on a hard patch, I’m proud of my perseverance and know it’ll be worth it in the end.
However, the importance of high school circulates around the experiences, the tragedies and the memories that I have made. From delusional crushes, to friends being lost, and creating close friendships made me realize that life circulates in a weird manner. Thinking about how if I didn’t fail that test or that assignment maybe I wouldn’t be as persistent as I am.
However I must say don’t ever push yourself to the point where you mentally can’t take it anymore. Just know that what you do, as long as you are happy is all that matters. I must admit, to this day it has taken so much strength to not overload myself with AP courses that I know I can’t handle. I don’t like it when I see people posting or saying “Taking 9 APs this year!” because not only does it make me question if I’m doing too little, but it makes me feel like I’m idiotic and lazy. I know I’m not lazy, but seeing how many people obnoxiously do so many classes that I’m not taking absolutely drives me crazy. And you know what’s worse, when they give you that awkward smile when you tell them you’re taking ERWC instead of AP English. However I do have to balance a persistent job, volunteering, and personal issues all together. Currently I’m taking two AP classes and it’s already overwhelming, but hey it’s your own choice.
Remember that senior year will burn you out if you keep over pressuring yourself in an attempt to outshine other high achievers. Just do the best you can and enjoy making memories.
At the end of the day, I know high school will be a fever dream and all I will remember are the people that have truly impacted my life. From the outrageous conversations my friends and I would have during 5th period to the study sessions, it’ll all be a blur in a couple of months.
