High school is a major part of life in American culture. Regardless if you  passed every year with honor roll and great attendance, repeated a grade, dreaded even the thought of attending, or made the most out of every second of it. The lessons you learn throughout this time period help shape the person you become later in society. It is crucial to keep in mind that not every step is going to be easy, and there will be times when you will make a wrong decision. I hope that sharing my personal high school experience (so far) will encourage you to make the most out of yours.

My first day is very vague. All that I remember is going to sleep feeling super anxious. I really didn’t know what to expect. Certainly I did a little research from a few family members, and seen the stereotypical movies but nothing anyone said could prepare me mentally for the new start I was about to begin. Personally I was more worried about what kinds of people I was bound to meet. Despite the fact that I am very outgoing, making new friends was never my cup of tea. As a child I grew up with a cousin who is only 3 months younger than I am. We did everything together. Having said this I never really made an effort to make new friends while in school for the simple fact that I always had her. Our close relationship lasted until the 9th grade. The first year we did not attend the same school.

I currently have relations with about 4 or 5 of the same friends I made freshman year. Once the school work really started to roll in I realized that me and a lot of the people I would associate with were not on the same page academically. While the ones who were did not seem to relate to me and my lifestyle much so we didn’t really connect. Having considered these things I put my main focus onto my personal success. Freshman and sophomore year I played volleyball and softball, maintained honor roll, and had a job after school. Many peers of mine felt I was biting off more than I could chew for my age, but I had believed otherwise. If i were to have listened to them I would not be nearly as successful in school and my job as I am today.

Now don't get me wrong I am far from a perfect student. Difficulties at home seem to have been my biggest issue with school. I live with my mom, stepdad, and two little brothers about 25 minutes away from my high school. Because of this attendance is a major area I struggle in. Both my mom and stepdad’s car usually work but there was multiple times there has been an issue and I was unable to make it to school on time or even at all. Luckily for my 16th birthday I was fortunate enough to receive a car from my birth father. Though this car is reliable, it would now be the only reliable car in my household. So if something were to happen to the other 2 cars, mine is their backup. Once again leaving it hard for me to keep a good attendance. I personally believe this obstacle motivated me to try even harder when it came to academics.

Along with the car troubles, like any other family we went through our ups and downs. These issues I rather not go into depth about. But nonetheless they were issues that affected me mentally. One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is from Forest Gump. It is his famous line “My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” This quote emphasizes that life is unpredictable but you have to take what you get and make the most out of it. That is what my mindset can be concluded to be based on my actions throughout my highschool experience so far. Regardless of the struggles I have faced, big or small, I do whatever in my power possible to receive the best results in return. Taking a look back on the struggles I have encountered, I plan on bettering my attendance throughout my Junior and Senior years, and maintaining my focus on my grades as well as after school activities. Doing these things will allow me to continue on a path to what I would consider a successful future. I hope you will do the same.