The benefits of an open minded approach

Aidan Oakley Editor-in-chief

Nobody has a clear vision of everything they want to achieve during high school. Most of us come into high school with an rough idea, a guess at what we can accomplish, and we leave with different interests and as a different person overall. From freshman to senior year, we meet new people, engage in new perspectives, and have new experiences. Making the transition to high school, I often limited myself to only pursuing activities that seemed comfortable to me, something I was familiar with or had some sort of prior experience. I made a line, pushing new ideas to the other side while keeping my prior experiences with me on my side. Still, getting involved in a plethora of various clubs is key to discovering what impact we want to leave on our high school. In high school, there are high reward, low risk opportunities we have

High School Expectations vs. Reality

Zahraa Zreik Staff Writer

“Thank you for your order,” my computer screen read as it took me a minute to register what I had done. As I had finally placed my graduation cap and gown order, it seemed that high school flew by me instantaneously. Getting ready to leave high school behind, it seems like only yesterday that I was a geeky, anxious freshman trying to find my way through the never-ending halls. When I reflect on my time in high school, I realize it was not at all what I had anticipated. There was no plot, no punchline, and it was nowhere near as entertaining as it was advertised in shows or movies. Would I wish that it had happened differently, though? Not in the slightest. Disney and Nickelodeon instilled the image of high school as a dramatic battleground where everyone gets backstabbed and falls in love. I was conditioned to expect a specific order to try new things and open ourselves up to new perspectives. By trying a new club or a new sport there is a chance to identify a new passion. A passion that might’ve been initially hidden.

At freshman orientation, I was forced into signing up for cross country by a friend. I initially saw this as a burden. Running 3.1 miles every race seemed too challenging compared to the shorter track races in middle school. During the summer practices, I started to tell myself that there was no way I would stick around for the season. Little did I know that this decision would completely change my high school experience. Cross country allowed me to improve myself athletically, and I was also able to form bonds with teammates over my whole high school tenure. This gave me a breath of fresh air in between the busy school schedule of challenging courses and turning in assignments. During my senior year, I was also able to serve as captain of the team while qualifying for the state finals and earning academic all-state.

Joining the journalism class, I again initially limited myself to what I could and couldn’t accomplish. My self-efficacy was low, Participating in the school newspaper opened for crowds and how they should behave (for example, geeks, jocks, and cheerleaders). With just about every show and movie taking place in a high school, I had been looking forward to the experience virtually all my life. My freshman to junior year was such a letdown for me, as my expectations for the eventful nature of high school were nothing more than a place to learn and keep to myself and my friend group. It was so surprising that there were no surprises. I experienced so much boredom because every day was the same routine; wake up, work, eat lunch, do more work, then go home. Beyond that, friend groups were not exclusive to one another. I befriended anybody I “clicked with’, rather than whoever looked or acted similar to me, and so did everyone else.Ultimately, there was no organization, storyline, and plot. Sadly, it was just a merry go round of confusing repetition. Reflecting on my high school experience, I recognize it was a lesson in managing expectations. While it did not live up to the standards I had created in my mind, it was no disappointment. Just because something does not match our expectations does not mean that it is not valuable or worth experiencing. High school was a crucial part of my growth many doors for me to demonstrate leadership, and was a big factor in my acceptance to the University of Michigan as well as my acquisition of scholarships. I had a personal interest in joining journalism, but I didn’t think it would initially lead to the impact it ended up having on me. Through journalism, I was able to pick up very important leadership skills being editorin-chief while also earning multiple state-wide awards for journalism. as a person, and it provided me with vital life lessons that I will carry with me for years to come. Most prominently, high school taught me the importance of being true to myself because surrendering my sense of worth to impress others leads to an uncomfortable and phony life. My first years were spent attempting to impress others to avoid loneliness and keep myself occupied. The COVID-19 pandemic provided me with an adequate opportunity to reflect on how I should have approached independence. Clinging to others is even more degrading than being alone. High school taught me independence.

These leadership qualities that I was able to pick up during my four years of high school eventually led me to accomplishing my childhood dream of being accepted into the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. If I had stayed content with not putting myself out there, I wouldn’t have had the experiences. Even looking back, there’s so much more I would’ve done differently had I got the chance to go back to freshman year, such as producing music, photography, and more community service. Still, the past is behind us and the future is open to . Don’t sit back and watch wonder what could’ve been. Face that new fear, conquer that challenge you’ve been avoiding, start that new hobby that you’ve always been interested in.

In conclusion, high school may not have been what it seemed, but that does not diminish its significance. While the media may portray high school as a new, carefree experience, the reality is no movie. High school can be challenging, tedious, and stressful but can also be a time of significant growth and development. It is essential to manage our expectations and understand that just because something does not match our preconceived notions does not mean it is not worth experiencing. High school taught me that life is not always what we expect it to be, but that does not mean it is any less valuable.