Don't Stress! by Kirsten

Don't Stress! by Kirsten - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

As a child I remember looking up at the high school students, the seniors especially, and being in complete awe. I could not wait to be in high school with all the big kids and work on building myself and my future. As time drew near I became more and more nervous about being a freshmen, the youngest of all the high schoolers, and starting over in a completely new environment, with new, older people. Not only was I afraid of that, but I was also scared about my classes. I know it may seem tough but one piece of advice I would like to give all incoming freshmen is to not stress about the little things and stay focused.

As you start your first new adventure to a bigger world, gain more freedoms and maybe hear a few “freshie” jokes, just remember not to stress about everything. My biggest fear and what I stressed the most about going into this new environment, was my classes. I was used to the changing from one class to another because of middle school, but most of my new teachers I had never even heard of. The way my middle school teachers conversed about high school made it seem as though it is this big scary place that had notes after notes, pages and pages of homework, and teachers that were these horrifying people that never listened and yelled when you asked a question, but that isn’t the case at all. My high school teachers have been wonderful and have helped me through a lot. They are flexible with me if i’m absent and need time to finish an assignment to turn it. If you don’t understand something they help you to the best of their ability, they can even go above and beyond to giving you a tutoring session if you need it.

Going into high school seeing all these new faces, you must remember you are also a new face to others. There will be a lot of new distractions that occur, whether it’s boys’ or even underaged drinking. Always stay focused on your schooling! Don’t let boys’ or anything else get in the way of your education or even your long term goals, because at the end of the day, month, or year that boy may not be there, but you will always have your education and intelligence that you gain from school.

High school will be the best time of your life, enjoy it. Be smart, and stay focused. I know it seems scary in the beginning and you may dread the first day, but once that first day is over and you go home, you’ll find that it wasn’t bad at all and that you had a great time!