“Growing up.” Two simple words that contain many different meanings, depending on the point in a person’s life when they choose to begin the growing up process. People tend to interpret those two words in their own ways. For some people, it might mean becoming a more independent person. For other people, it could mean taking a leap from childhood to adulthood. However, for me, growing up means taking the steps in my life that really matter; it means understanding the differences between what is right and wrong in life. The way that I think about it is simple: each day that passes in my life takes me closer to maturity. As I grow older, I experience new situations and develop the person that I am meant to be. I believe that one of the main factors to developing who I am comes from my school life.

In elementary school, I remember the first feeling of what society had to offer, but I didn’t have the sophistication to make my own decisions. At that point in my life, it was about exploring the world of friendship, as well as learning an introduction to the education that would carry me far in life. Middle school still contained a form of simplicity, however, I started to make decisions on my own and my life got a little less reliant on others. Then, high school entered my life. That was when everything really changed.

As a current junior in high school, I have noticed that the decisions I make are extremely important, and the friends that I choose to let into my life determine who I really am. There are several things that I would like to say which should help you along the way, based off of my personal experience. First off, while I am in school, I make sure not to cause too much trouble, because the way that I act should help teachers to decide what type of student that I really am in my high school experience. First impressions really do count, so I always make sure that I listen and work hard. If they like me, then it’s a bonus. I am very inquisitive, which is actually great, for the most part, because teachers love when their students want to be involved in the lesson. This is a good quality, and it doesn’t mean that I ask questions just to get a laugh out of the class. Interrupting the class session is never a good idea. I set the example for the other students in my class and behave in a respectful manner. Also, many high schools have something called the “National Honors Society,” which I am hoping to get into because it it is a great thing to put on a resume. Another thing that I really focus on is to maintain a strong relationship with all of my teachers, or at least the ones that I really like. The reason for this is because when it comes time for college, I am going to want one of my previous teachers to write a recommendation letter for me, and if I have a great relationship with a specific teacher, I would think that they’d give a pretty good word for me. Moving on, another important thing that I take note of are the classes, clubs, and activities that I participate in. This is because the more that I do, the more I can explain to other people that are looking for me to join their college. Personally, I play soccer and volleyball for the high school, participate in the newspaper club, maintain very good grades, and I do community service outside of school. This will have a great impact on my college experience. And the last thing that I would say is that I would NEVER push my social life away just so that I could focus on academics. Yes, having a strong GPA is good and having great grades is fantastic, but in high school, friendships can go a long way in life. I go to parties once in a while and try to hang out with people all the time, and I am still able to balance out school work with it. I hope that this has impacted you in a positive way. Remember this: become the person that, like me, knows their full potential.