It's Not as Scary as it Seems by Erika

It's Not as Scary as it Seems by Erika - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

As a freshman, everything in high school is new. There are new teachers, new people, new classrooms, and a new schedule. Everyone is the new kid and everything is trying to stay afloat in this world of new. If unprepared, many find themselves failing classes by the end of the year. However, by realizing one’s priorities and establishing what is really important, success becomes easy.

It is very easy to burn the candle at both ends in high school with all the options presented before the modern student. Teachers and parents are constantly promoting homework, clubs, sports, and volunteer work, all while eating properly and getting enough sleep. The only way to describe this is overwhelming. I remember when I was a freshman and thinking, “How does one possibly manage all of this?”

The answer is actually fairly simple. First and foremost, find and establish your priorities. Yes, you should consider being a student as your full time job, viewing it as what you need to do in order to survive. However, even those actually employed full time in order to provide realize that some things come before your job. Not things like hanging out with your friends and going to parties, but your health and your family. If homework gets in the way of sleeping or of your eating habits, it’s okay to take a step back and stick to a routine, rather than to doing all of your homework that night. Sleeping and stopping for meals gives you an opportunity for a mental break, which is necessary if you are also going to maintain any amount of mental health while juggling the insanity associated with being a teenager in America. If your family needs you, such as in the event of a serious illness or the death of a family member, it is okay to miss a day of school. Your teachers will understand.

Secondly, schedule your time wisely. Not necessarily using it wisely, which is also important, but scheduling it. Buy a planner and actually use it. Estimate how long assignments, clubs, and other activities will take and plan your week from there. Homework should take priority over clubs and activities, but strictly doing homework one hundred percent of the time is simply unreasonable. After school activities are great because they typically only take an hour or two every week and it’s not a big deal if you miss a meeting. Being involved in one or two activities is healthy, as long as you can handle it without sacrificing your priorities. Participating in the manner gives you an opportunity for a social life while keeping up with everything else you need to do.

Lastly, do not worry about the little things. No one will remember them in the long run. Colleges still accept student who get B’s. Being late to school is okay sometimes, as long as it doesn’t become a habit. One late assignment isn’t going to kill anyone. The end of the world is not getting a D on the math test you didn’t have time to study for. Even though none of these are necessarily positive experiences, they do happen, and every once in a while that’s okay. The world will not end just because one little thing happened in the grand scheme of your high school career. Take them as they come, and learn from them.

High school can be scary, especially if you think you are unprepared. However, once you get into a routine and balance your life properly, things will not be so scary. Just remember that you are a person first, concerned with your family and your health, both mental and physical, and a student second.