Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Tamara

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Tamara - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. Seriously.

When you first enter high school, your head will be swirling with new information along with the new environment. Big campus, big lockers, big classes and big books. You'll wonder where, or when to sit with who and whomever. Your counselor, who they matched you with alphabetically over the summer, will remind you that every grade counts, not only towards graduation but also towards college and graduate school. No pressure! That strict teacher you have—and you’ll always have one, or three, or five—tells you during the very first class that every test counts as a major part of your grade, and you remember that you frequently freeze on tests.

Your friends from middle school will be with you, but the bigger your classes are the less of them you might see them. More so if your school has separate lunch, and your friends are assigned different lunch periods than you are. Now you'll have to worry about making NEW friends, and your school is so big and the cliques so small that it's hard to try to find a spot where you can kick your feet up with the kids that best fit you and your interests you will find.

You want to impress that cute guy or girl in your class who you've been crushing on since the sixth grade but have never had the courage to talk to, and you'll want to find a date for the homecoming dance. Though it’s a month away, it’s coming like a freight train.

Your parents will nag you about your grades, as well as give you books and pamphlets about the college application process. Even though you're only a freshman, the college app business still hangs over your shoulder as you walk around like some sort of specter, whispering to you that this is all for it and if you don't make it, your options are seriously limited!

Your teachers will give you books and books of homework, and if you're on the honors/AP track, expect you to do college-level work. Once you hit sophomore year next year, you'll worry about the PSATs and what it means once you get the results back (are they good? Will I have to study some more? A lot?), and start studying for your SATs so you will get into your favorite college.

All the while you're in school, you'll meet some people who will tease you, ignore you, push you around, or seriously try to mess with your head. Ignore them. But if it bothers you too much, talk to a trusted adult about your situation and see how they can guide you through it.

But all in all, don't sweat the small stuff. Really!

Over time, that one failed test won't make a difference on your GPA, even in time for college. So take the loss if needed and learn from it, and figure out how to apply your skills better so you'll be earning those As in no time.

Those kids who hassle you will either change for the better and become the best of friends (it happens, I promise!) or fade into the backdrop of your life, only to be regarded with the awareness of how strong it made you.

Those all-nighters studying for those AP classes might not pay off grades-wise, but it'll teach you the skills you need to manage your time and absorb the information you need and want, as well as make learning easier for you.

The guy or girl you like may or may not like you back. If not, it's okay. There will be plenty of others and, hopefully, a few of the ones will be the right ones for you!

The SATs are not the end of the world, or the beginning. A lot more colleges and universities are being holistic in their college application review process so that SATs matter less than your grades and your accomplishments over four years of learning.

But, most of all, learn to try everything. Try out for sports. Try out for the school play. Join a dance class. Ask out that cute guy, or cute girl, and don’t be afraid of their reaction or whether they will reject you or not. Remember, it’s only four years. Live a little. Enjoy each day and the wrench it throws you, laugh, pick it up, and learn how to play with it. Because if you’re not playing and learning from it—and the rest of your educational career—what’s the use of it?

Oh, and learn how to study. Not only will you feel better about learning, you’ll learn better period. And that, ultimately, is what being a student is all about.