Hmmm. Breathe in, breathe out. The school year is over. Summer is upon us. But before I jump headlong into the electrifying and exciting summer I have planned, I'd like to look back on my first year of high school.
This school year has been a year of firsts for me.
First year in high school
First year in a public school
First year in a new place
This year has been wonderful. I attended a small private Christian school before my family moved to Cedar Park. In 8th grade I has 38 kids in my grade. My freshman class has over 400.
Being enrolled in a huge public school has been perfect for me. There are so many people,and my school has more programs than I can count. The opportunities are endless. This year I was able to take Principles of Biomedical Sciences, and next year I'm looking forward to ceramics. I was able to take an AP class as a freshman (which was an wonderful experience, by the way).
Things on the social front have been going surprisingly well. With such a large, heterogeneous student body, there has to be a group you fit into, and people seem to generally be more accepting and open to diversity, and I appreciate that. I have met some wonderful people and made some rad friends. Exceptionally rad, to be precise.
This year I have realized that education and knowledge is really my jam. I enjoy when my teachers lecture. I love learning and being more educated about the world in which we live. As this school year comes to a close I feel like I have a much stronger grip on the world, even though my knowledge barely scrapes the surface of understanding. I cannot even comprehend what I don't know, but what I do understand is so empowering. Call me crazy, but I appreciate learning new things.
I have also learned that I am a quiet person. Well, yeah, I knew this, but in junior high I had this tendency to think that I'd somehow change and "come out of my shell" when I started high school due to some magical power of 9th grade or something. But nope. I'm (still) quiet. I don't need to be talking all the time just to take up space. I especially don't need to be the center of attention, and that's okay. As much as I enjoy our loud, crazy, buzzing cafeteria, I don't often contribute to the chaos.
Another thing: High School Musical is actually kinda accurate about a handful of things. I guess my view is different from student who have been in large schools for the bulk of their education, but I was quite surprised about the following:
Being enrolled in a huge public school has been perfect for me. There are so many people,and my school has more programs than I can count. The opportunities are endless. This year I was able to take Principles of Biomedical Sciences, and next year I'm looking forward to ceramics. I was able to take an AP class as a freshman (which was an wonderful experience, by the way).
Things on the social front have been going surprisingly well. With such a large, heterogeneous student body, there has to be a group you fit into, and people seem to generally be more accepting and open to diversity, and I appreciate that. I have met some wonderful people and made some rad friends. Exceptionally rad, to be precise.
This year I have realized that education and knowledge is really my jam. I enjoy when my teachers lecture. I love learning and being more educated about the world in which we live. As this school year comes to a close I feel like I have a much stronger grip on the world, even though my knowledge barely scrapes the surface of understanding. I cannot even comprehend what I don't know, but what I do understand is so empowering. Call me crazy, but I appreciate learning new things.
I have also learned that I am a quiet person. Well, yeah, I knew this, but in junior high I had this tendency to think that I'd somehow change and "come out of my shell" when I started high school due to some magical power of 9th grade or something. But nope. I'm (still) quiet. I don't need to be talking all the time just to take up space. I especially don't need to be the center of attention, and that's okay. As much as I enjoy our loud, crazy, buzzing cafeteria, I don't often contribute to the chaos.
Another thing: High School Musical is actually kinda accurate about a handful of things. I guess my view is different from student who have been in large schools for the bulk of their education, but I was quite surprised about the following:
- Social groups and cliques EXIST, and they are very visible (and often quite stereotypical)
- High school campuses are HUGE and do have secret places that are often unknown
- Prissy girls exist and ARE as high maintenance as Sharpay
- The whole theater department IS little off it's rocker.
- People DO come to school with zero school supplies (I'm looking at you, Chad)
- Phones are THAT much of a distraction
- People DO just break into song and dance...
Last week my friends and I were just chilling at lunch when all of a sudden a vaguely familiar song starts playing. Soon after a whole gaggle of folks stand up at the same time. Some quickly don their caps and gowns, even though graduation is more than a week away. Next thing we knew, they all agglomerated and began singing and dancing, acting out this scene from High School Musical where everybody shares a hidden talent or hobby and are then promptly told to "Stick the status quo". It was glorious. It made my day. Points for the seniors for a fun and memorable senior prank.
On a more practical note, Freshman year has taught me how to be a more efficient note taker, how to speed walk like a pro, and how to stay focused while reading an entire chapter of a textbook at a time.
Freshman year has been so good. Just good. Not the kind of good that's not as intense as great, but the type of good where you go "yeah, a few things here and there could have gone better, but I wouldn't have changed a thing". The kind of good where you realize that you didn't expect that much in the first place but your non-existent standards have been blown out of the water.
Does anybody else know what I mean? I hope so.
This year went by so quickly, and for the first time I'm wishing I could just stay. I'm not longing for a change, and I think that's a good sign.
Anyhoo, I'm sure Sophomore year will be just as good, and I'll learn all sorts of new things, and I can't wait!
Now I feel ready to welcome in summer and all of it's radiance and excitement.
Now I feel ready to welcome in summer and all of it's radiance and excitement.
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