It's Not Always About Academics by Karen

It's Not Always About Academics by Karen - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

Honestly, I think the most important lesson I learned throughout school wasn't the history of the world or mathematical concepts or chemical properties. The most interesting lesson I've learned is to embrace change -- to be adaptable. Really. In high school especially, a person tends to undergo many changes to their appearance, friends, interests, academics...the list goes on: the kids that fought change and stayed stuck in their ways were typically the ones who had a really tough time adjusting to the real (working) world. I still see it every time I visit home. Most of my high school friends ended up staying in the same town, living in the same houses with their parents and spending time with the same people. Had they been open to putting themselves out there and experiencing new things, they might not be still working the same minimum wage job they worked back when they were 16. It's not because they aren't educated or incapable of doing something different. A large portion of these youths just don't want to disrupt what they have always known. In order to grow and expand yourself as a person, embracing change is a must.