Stress and Social Relief by Esperanza

Stress and Social Relief by Esperanza - September 2023 Scholarship Essay

All schools come with their fair share of differences. By differences I don’t mean the building or where they are located but by their rules and how their school runs. All schools can use their share of changes. In my school specifically, the changes that need to be made for a better learning environment is by bringing back the ability to socialize and sit and talk in the common area again. It was taken away Covid year. Another change that needs to be done is adding classes that will help with the real world like how to manage your bank account and how to manage paying your bills. The last change would need to be to add a mandatory study hall or free hour to reduce stress.
Adding being able to hang out with friends in the commons before school and having the option to eat lunch there would make kids more sociable. I feel like after COVID-19, especially in my class, the freshman class after Covid. We didn’t get our last day of middle school and didn’t talk to anyone outside of our families until mid-September when we were able to come back with restrictions. Even then we weren’t allowed to sit directly next to each other and we had masks so we didn’t get the face-to-face conversations. I feel like this damaged our social abilities and to be able to have our common area back it forces kids to be social because the commons is half the size of the cafeteria and this would make kids have to make new friends and not be in their clique. And to be able to go and hang out there without having to be jammed in the cafeteria and being in the cafeteria is not as nice as the commons.
All classes are beneficial in their way but I feel like as a senior what I need the most is classes that will help me learn how to be able to be on my own. My example is to add bills or life lessons classes that are mandatory for all seniors. I don’t know how to pay my bills and that is a life lesson I need to be able to do when I am leaving for college in less than a year. I think because we don’t know the basics of adult life having these classes would be beneficial. Seniors need to learn how to be financially stable on their own and I feel like having a class with lessons to help will make an impact and make students feel more confident in themselves being on their own. A life lessons class will be beneficial because it will help show kids that mistakes will be made but it helps to learn and see how people go on and improve. I know this sounds like a waste of time but I think most kids will benefit from hearing this. We think we know it all but we don’t and hearing it from someone who has been through the same experience and isn't our family will change people's views on certain aspects.
All students at one point or another have stayed up way too late to finish their homework and then have to go to school the next morning and try to not be drained from the night before. I think a good resolution to this problem would be to have a mandatory study hall that all kids have to take no matter what grade. It is like an extra hour for kids to get their homework done and not have to pull all-nighters. And I do understand that not all students will take this opportunity, but I know as a student-athlete who has either practice or games right after school it’s really hard to find time in my day to do my assignments. This leads to me being forced into doing my homework at night and I know that I much rather be doing any other task so my full attention isn’t on my assignment. If I had a class during my school day where I’d Luke do my homework I would be more attentive because there are fewer distractions around. I would also have the stress relief knowing that I finished all my assignments in school and I can just go home and be able to spend time with my family and not have to go and isolate myself so I can focus on my work.
My overall thoughts are that there would be more of a positive attitude about school if we added these new things. By bringing back the common area you are also bringing back the ability to socialize not just with people in your friend group. Adding another class about life and how to be an adult would make seniors like me a lot less scared about moving out and being without our parents and learning how to stand on our own before we have to. Lastly, having an extra class throughout the day that is mandatory for everyone will help relieve the stress of homework and give us a sense of accomplishment about completing all tasks that were given to us throughout the day. This would make a positive impact on my school and help other kids as well.