Popularity: Lesson learned by Brittany

Popularity: Lesson learned by Brittany - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Receiving a free education is a great opportunity given to each child in the United States. Our teachers are there not only to teach us a specific subject, but also guide us in many of the choices we make as we grow up. The idea of going to school isn’t just about learning the core subjects, but it is also to help us grow into independent young adults. One important thing I learned from my teacher was on the subject of popularity. Being popular is something that many students think is very important, however I have learned that it is not the most important part of growing up.

What is popularity? “Popularity is the state of being liked or supported by others” and many times it may not be in a positive way. There are many things to focus on as you go through school and being popular should definitely not be one of them. My teacher always told me that it is best to worry about yourself and all the good things that can come along with your future. At times the popular kids may choose to get involved with using drugs, skipping school, and whatever else is considered “cool” at the time. A majority of these people are given labels for being involved with the wrong groups. Popularity isn’t always about making the wrong decisions it’s just based on the actions you take and how you handle everything. Just because you see someone getting a lot of attention for something that they are doing doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Times like these are when you should take the opportunity to be a bigger person and tell those people that they’re not making a positive choice. This is a reason to think before you act.

I personally am not involved in these groups. There are times when I wonder what it would be like to be involved in the activities everyone else is involved in or what it would be like to receive the attention they get. At the same time, I know deep down that I am making the right decision by doing things on my own and being myself. School has a big affect on your future. It’s not just the core subjects that can get you far, but also the life related decisions you make on your own. It is hard to be yourself and still have a lot of friends because of the pressure people can put on you, especially someone who tries to persuade you into doing something bad.

My closest friend and I used to be able to go to each other for everything and always joked around together. We were like two peas in a pod. One day she decided to try drugs with another one of her friends, I didn’t agree with the choice she made so I spoke up and told her that I didn’t think what she was doing is a good idea and she disagreed. Since that day we haven’t been as close. At one point she went around telling everyone how much she hated me and said that I was acting childish. I got to the point where I told her I was sorry and asked if we could make up because I missed having her around. We are starting to become the friends we once were, but I will never change my mind about how I feel about using drugs whether she understands me or not. This incident has had a strong impact on my life.

As a young person going through high school, I have made the decision to be myself and not seek out to be the most popular or in the most popular group. My final thought on the subject of popularity is; it is not always the best choice to make. It can lead you to make choices that are not always the best or right ones for your long term goals. I am going to continue to focus on my academics and goals for my future as I complete my high school years.