The Time is Now by Emily

The Time is Now by Emily - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

As time goes by in what seems to be the blink of an eye, it is no question that wisdom grows with age and experience. It is an old joke that seniors look at freshmen as young naïve children who have no clue about how life works. The ironic part of this is the fact that when you are a freshman, you insist that you know all there is to possibly know and that your wisdom may even exceed that of the seemingly-insane seniors. As you grow up, especially through high school years, you soon realize that the little, confident freshman you were cannot even compare to the wise senior that will soon walk down the aisle, diploma in hand. Though the teenage brain will retain some of the most important life skills from high school experiences, the one piece of advice I would choose to share with younger students is to learn the value and significance of time management.
Upon entering high school in 2012, I had little experience with managing my time to fit in various activities while still focusing on school work. Unfortunately, my middle school did not prepare me for the amount of work I would receive in high school. This reality hit me hard, especially after failing a number of quizzes and tests freshman year. I already felt defeated and the school year had just begun. I questioned whether choosing to attend this private high school was a bad mistake. Despite my doubt, with the help of genuinely caring teachers and classes such as Freshman Seminar, I slowly learned how to properly study and manage my time academically. I adopted study habits such as “45-15” which is where I studied for 45 minutes periods and then took 15 minute break periods of physical activity. I used flashcards for classes that required lots of memorization, like science. When I had the realization that the grades I was receiving could have an impact on my accumulative GPA by the end of senior year, I started to work harder than I ever did before. I learned what it truly meant to have a late night, finishing assignments at 2:00 or even 3:00 am. Future high school students need to know that even if they feel like their middle school failed to prepare them for the challenges of high school, there is still a way to be successful in their studies. Learning how to study properly is not an easy or quick task; it takes a lot of practice, dedication, and patience in order to see results. Once you do see your hard work paying off though, the sense of pride—healthy pride—will mean more than the painful hours spent studying. It is one of the most worth-while life skills.
Never pass up the chance to watch a sunset. Not only is it necessary to manage time academically, but younger students should understand the innate importance of making time for family, friends, and activities outside of school. Freshman year I remember being told that high school would pass in the blink of an eye. It was not until a few months ago when I truly reflected on the accuracy of that statement. Though there are some weeks that seem to drag on for eternity, each year seems to pass in what honestly feels like less than a month. Future students, I cannot stress this enough: make sure to take time for the little things in life. Watch sunsets. Go on long car rides with your parents. Blast music and dance crazy with your friends. Go on adventures with your siblings. Laugh at yourself. Hug your dog whenever you can. Do not skip Sunday family dinners to study. When you reach the end of senior year, you will nostalgically look back and hold the smallest of memories closest to your heart. You will want to pack your already-busy summer schedule with as many of these “little things” as possible, just to make sure that you have made the most of your time before departing to college. Although free time can be a foreign concept to those who attend especially challenging high schools, be sure to use any free minute to focus on the little things previously mentioned rather than stressing about school work, watching Netflix, or scrolling through Instagram for the twelfth time today. These little things will quickly add up and will keep stressed students sane even on the hardest of days. Never pass up the chance to watch a sunset.
Even though I learned these vital life skills relatively soon into my high school years, it definitely would have helped to know them upon entering high school. Simple reminders of enjoying my family instead of stressing about things I could not control would have saved me from many late night breakdowns about school. This is why I hope with my whole heart that future students will learn the worth of time management. I know there will be extra-demanding days (even weeks) of high school that will seem impossible to get through. I do not promise that it will be easy; that is nonsense. What I do promise though, is that if you learn how to properly manage time, life will become that much more beautiful.