The Penn Perspective
It’s cliché, I know, but high school really has gone by incredibly fast.
As a senior, I still vividly remember walking onto Carlmont’s campus for the first time - looking up (both figuratively and literally) to all the upperclassmen, sprinting to my classes when the minute bell rang, and practically shaking with excitement at everything I thought high school was going to be.
Was it everything I had ever hoped and dreamed of? Yes, and no. There were some amazing parts, don’t get me wrong, but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows.
So many people say, “Make the most of high school.” It’s such a simple statement, but what does it mean? Should I get involved in clubs? Focus on grades? Make strong friendships? All of the above?
It can be hard to balance your time correctly in high school. Oftentimes, there’s just too much going on to do everything you may want to.
While there’s some experiences I’ve had that I’m incredibly grateful for, there’s also a lot I wish I had done differently. I’ve decided to share a small portion of some of the best and worst ways I’ve spent my time over the past four years.
Football games. I know that they can get pretty tedious, especially three or four games into the season, but every time I decided to skip out on going to a Friday night game, I missed out. I’ve spoken to so many seniors who had just attended their first football game, and instantly regretted not going to more in the past. Football games are a high school staple, and I promise that going to a game will be more memorable than staying cuddled up inside with your computer.
On the topic of high school staples, dances are another big one. My freshman year, I decided to stay home from the winter formal dance because I didn’t have a date, and I thought that all of my friends would leave me alone. It was a huge mistake. The moral of the story is: always choose school events over staying home with the TV.
I do have to say, one thing I wish I spent less time on was homework. Hear me out. For my first two years of high school, I would obsessively strive for perfect grades and often stay up half the night struggling to finish an AP assignment. Looking back on it, I missed out on a lot of great adventures with my friends because of all the stress I put on myself and probably spent way too much time on those AP Euro outlines.
I wish I had recognized the importance of giving myself a break from schoolwork, activities, and socializing more often. I would always get sick at least once a year from simply overworking myself; had I allotted more time for just relaxing and taking a breather, I most likely wouldn’t have ended up missing as much school as I did.
Although my grades may have suffered because of it, one thing I am eternally grateful for is getting involved in on-campus groups, which for me was journalism and ASB. Having something that makes you excited to come to school in the morning and sad to leave in the afternoon is priceless and really will make your experience that much better.
Most people don’t consider this one, but taking the time to form connections with teachers actually does come in handy. Going in for office hours, popping in to say hello, or going in during lunch to get help on an assignment helps teachers to get to know you. Not only does this make your life easier when you request that extension on an assignment, but it also is useful for letters of recommendation when they come up.
All in all, the past four years have resulted in some of the best, worst, funniest, most stressful, and most rewarding experiences of my life.
There’s always going to be homework, there’s always going to be a sports game or dance, and there’s always going to be some other friend or family commitment. The key to making the most out of high school is figuring out how to balance everything going on in your life and prioritize the things that you will be able to look back on and remember fondly.
Four years goes by faster than you could imagine, so make the most of it while you still can.
As a senior, I still vividly remember walking onto Carlmont’s campus for the first time - looking up (both figuratively and literally) to all the upperclassmen, sprinting to my classes when the minute bell rang, and practically shaking with excitement at everything I thought high school was going to be.
Was it everything I had ever hoped and dreamed of? Yes, and no. There were some amazing parts, don’t get me wrong, but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows.
So many people say, “Make the most of high school.” It’s such a simple statement, but what does it mean? Should I get involved in clubs? Focus on grades? Make strong friendships? All of the above?
It can be hard to balance your time correctly in high school. Oftentimes, there’s just too much going on to do everything you may want to.
While there’s some experiences I’ve had that I’m incredibly grateful for, there’s also a lot I wish I had done differently. I’ve decided to share a small portion of some of the best and worst ways I’ve spent my time over the past four years.
Football games. I know that they can get pretty tedious, especially three or four games into the season, but every time I decided to skip out on going to a Friday night game, I missed out. I’ve spoken to so many seniors who had just attended their first football game, and instantly regretted not going to more in the past. Football games are a high school staple, and I promise that going to a game will be more memorable than staying cuddled up inside with your computer.
On the topic of high school staples, dances are another big one. My freshman year, I decided to stay home from the winter formal dance because I didn’t have a date, and I thought that all of my friends would leave me alone. It was a huge mistake. The moral of the story is: always choose school events over staying home with the TV.
I do have to say, one thing I wish I spent less time on was homework. Hear me out. For my first two years of high school, I would obsessively strive for perfect grades and often stay up half the night struggling to finish an AP assignment. Looking back on it, I missed out on a lot of great adventures with my friends because of all the stress I put on myself and probably spent way too much time on those AP Euro outlines.
I wish I had recognized the importance of giving myself a break from schoolwork, activities, and socializing more often. I would always get sick at least once a year from simply overworking myself; had I allotted more time for just relaxing and taking a breather, I most likely wouldn’t have ended up missing as much school as I did.
Although my grades may have suffered because of it, one thing I am eternally grateful for is getting involved in on-campus groups, which for me was journalism and ASB. Having something that makes you excited to come to school in the morning and sad to leave in the afternoon is priceless and really will make your experience that much better.
Most people don’t consider this one, but taking the time to form connections with teachers actually does come in handy. Going in for office hours, popping in to say hello, or going in during lunch to get help on an assignment helps teachers to get to know you. Not only does this make your life easier when you request that extension on an assignment, but it also is useful for letters of recommendation when they come up.
All in all, the past four years have resulted in some of the best, worst, funniest, most stressful, and most rewarding experiences of my life.
There’s always going to be homework, there’s always going to be a sports game or dance, and there’s always going to be some other friend or family commitment. The key to making the most out of high school is figuring out how to balance everything going on in your life and prioritize the things that you will be able to look back on and remember fondly.
Four years goes by faster than you could imagine, so make the most of it while you still can.