Is School the Worst Time of Your Life?
Let’s be real, at some point you’ve wished that high school was more like what you see in the movies, on television or in those trashy magazines that you pretend you don’t read; however, high school is what you make it … and ‘We’re All In This Together’.
We tend to believe that high school involves some of the hardest years of our lives, in which we are pushed beyond our limits to produce material that we later reflect on as repulsive and ridiculous. While we may wish we could be Gabriella from High School Musical or Cady from Mean Girls, we are all going to face some trouble with handing in our 'best quality' work and balancing school work with our social lives – we can’t all sing the year away… at least not well.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to physically wreck your mental and physical state to succeed, it just means that you have to commit yourself so you can reap the benefits later on in life. Of course, when experiencing the constant flow of assessment, school can appear dreary and overwhelming; however, like every difficult experience, event or hardship you will encounter, the benefits often compensate for the sacrifices.
When you compare what school is like to the 'real world', the daunting and pressurising elements that make school appear so traumatic seem trivial to the adversities will you endure when you leave school.
Often we take things for granted when we reflect on our school lives: our clean facilities, our supportive teachers, our library and, most importantly, the countless other students who are experiencing the same troubles, the same sorrows and the same successes we face. It is a place to build lasting friendships, to learn about extraordinary topics, to complain and console; a place where we have little responsibilities compared to the people who drive us through our education. So celebrate the friendships you mould, appreciate the knowledge that you develop and enjoy the places where you get semi-decent Wi-Fi.
My tips for high school? Simply this:
Don’t feel pressured by societal expectations, as John Mason said “You were born an original, don’t die a copy”. Be true to who you are and not who you are expected to be – don’t be another sheep in the flock.
Don’t let the pressure of the final years of school get to you – when you look back, you won’t remember slaving over your desk, but the memories you make with your fellow peers.
CHAC’s mixed Homerooms were created for a reason – your classmates are there for you and will always listen to your struggles and aim to find a solution. Don’t waste the chance to talk to an older student and gain potentially useful advice from them.
In my final year, I hope for a few things: good grades, great friendships and amazing memories. I don’t want to wish the year away because, frankly, your school years are some of the best of your life. Have a great year and be thankful that we only have to learn about Shakespeare, not still speak like that.
