With What I Know Now... by Joetta

With What I Know Now... by Joetta - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Given what I have learned through the past 17 years of my life there are many things I would share with younger students. They should know that most of what is happening to you now is going to get better. The petty arguments you are getting into with your so called friends. Friends will change, people will come and go in your life, and you need to realize that the ones that stay are the only ones that matter. Sometimes life is going to suck and everything is going seem like its coming down on you all at once, but you just need to stay strong and push through it.
With school you should realize that it’s going to get harder. School will get rough and many things you're used to will change. You just have to adapt and work your hardest. Freshman year counts so DO NOT slack off because it will affect your accumulative GPA. Don't be one of those people who just breeze through school without a care in the world because when it comes time for applying to college you will regret it. School work, drama and extra-curricular activities can and will become stressful and if you don't work for it this will go downhill. School is hard, but don't be afraid of it. Be active, but don't overwhelm yourself, making your resume look good is important but so is your well-being.
These are all things I wish someone would have told me before I had to find out first-hand. Life is hard and can be scary, but it's manageable with the right help, so don't worry too much.