Speech to my School. by Jacob

Speech to my School. by Jacob - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Jacob Helton
Lenoir City High School
03-09-17

If I could go back and give one piece of advice to my freshman self, I would talk about the importance of these next few years. I would talk about how to balance sports, friends, and most of all grades. Although I did not do the best at balancing all of these things and there was a lot of trial and error, these things can be accomplished and still have fun in high school.
Sports takes a lot of time out of your life and can negatively impact your grades. The good thing about sports is that it takes care of the friends for you. When you are on a team, you are surrounded by people that only want you to succeed. You must understand that not everyone is going to be standing in your corner when it gets rough but thats no need to get scared everyone has haters. The best way to balance the grade aspect of sports is to schedule some of your easier classes during your season so you won't have to pull an all nighter to study for your math test the day before your big game.
Your friends will change, and just remember change isn't always a bad thing. High school is a confusing time for most people, and you never know what other people are going through or what they have already been through. That being said, no good comes from being mean to people or just rude in general. No one wants to be friends with a mean person. And if you are that mean person and your friends are mean you should probably find some new friends. Your friends can either be a blessing or a curse. But if you follow my advice, you will be able to leave school with a lifetime of memories and friends that will always be there when you need them.
Now we talk about the most important part of high School, education. The best piece of advice I ever received was from Ms. Arielle Kilday (Admissions office at Maryville college) who said, “It is easier to keep an A than to try and pull a D to an A.” This is so important in high school, whether you decide to go to college or not. A zero as a grade is the worst thing for your grade. With good grades, you keep your parents happy and then you get to hang out with your friends and go have fun during high school.
High school is a very confusing time for many students, and it does get stressful at times. You have your whole life ahead of you. I understand that a high schooler’s life is a stressful one, and a good rule of thumb to live by is the 5 by 5 rule. If it's not going to matter 5 years from now you shouldn't stress for more that 5 minutes about it. That girl that broke up with you for your best friend isn't going to make a difference in 5 years. This doesn't mean you should completely forget about that experience, for it can save you in the future from further hurt. Understand that you will be alright, and life will be what you want it to be. Nothing is handed to you, and you have to work for your happiness.