High School Never Ends

                For me, high school is very different from preceding levels of education. In some ways it is easier, and in some ways harder, but altogether it is a totally new experience. It has brought on many changes in my academic life and created an array of new difficulties for me to overcome, achievements for me to bask in, and ambitions for me to pursue.

       Starting with the bad, I have encountered unusual and foreign complications. My test scores, generally above and beyond average, have become just that: mediocre. Straight A’s have fallen to B’s, and even worse, C’s! Also, though I typically finish homework and out-of-class assignments on time, procrastination has become my new worst enemy. Even so, I typically scrape good grades on last-minute dashes, though I occasionally slip up. Then there is my number one flaw: forgetfulness. If it is not ingrained in my brain, chances are I will completely forget it until it is too late, and I have a bad habit of believing I will remember it without writing it down. Quite frankly, high school has created a plethora of new disappointments for me, but I do have few redeeming successes.

        While I have discovered new failures, my attainments have stayed, for the most part, the same. Though my test grades have dropped somewhat, I do rather well with homework and classwork. I tend to forget assignments occasionally, but I can usually get them done on time. As a result of my doing well with assignments, my overall grades have stayed in an A to B range, which appears to be very good for Early College. On that note, my greatest academic success has to be actually getting into Early College High School. Everything about it—the opportunities, the environment, and life-changing events—is amazing. All of my successes leave me dreaming of even greater successes.

       Though I believe I do rather well in school, there is most definitely room for improvement. A’s and B’s are good, but my greatest goal in school is to receive straight A’s. My college career depends fully on whether or not I manage to scrounge up a full-ride scholarship. The only way I will get the grades I want is by studying and remembering my assignments, both of which I plan to improve on. Studying will be difficult since I have never had to do so before, but to remember my work all I have to do is make a habit of writing all of my assignment down. It may be tedious, but I must do whatever it takes to make my dreams to come true. I have to do it for my family, and I have to do it for myself.

       With all my new struggles, accomplishments and aspirations, high school really is an adventure. There is always something to keep me busy, whether it be overcoming an obstacle, maintaining a successful streak, or reaching for the stars. High school is frightening and exciting, and all around a huge step in my life. Here is where I make it or break it.

Take a Stand

I think people cyber bully for the same reasons they bully others in person: low self-esteem. However, it is easier to be tough online, and to spread rumors online. If a bully puts something online, more people will be able to see it, and the victim will most likely become to ashamed to do anything about it. Someone who sees it would probably be more likely to reprimand the bully online, if at all. People can hide behind a computer screen, but it is also faster than waiting until a face-to-face encounter. I was bullied when I was younger, so I know the pain and humiliation it brings. I never had an ounce of self-esteem after being put through that, and unfortunately would never have the courage to stand up for others. Now, however  I am much stronger than I used to be. I would not hesitate to put a stop to it. I do not want anyone else to be hurt and belittled like I was. Usually others are afraid to intervene because they want to "fit in," or they are scared of becoming a victim themselves. It takes courage to stand up for others, but every little action can start a chain reaction. It is worth the risk.

Pool of Tears

Each day,

new way

to break my battered heart.

"Tough as nails,"

never fails

to find a chink in my armor. 

Small stings,

little things,

piling up around me.

Across the floor,

against the door.

I fear I may be drowning.

Stealing? Call It "Seizure"

No one has the right to take something that is not theirs. That is the very point of it not being theirs. What would humans have in the world if any could take possessions from others? No matter what the history of the subject in question is, the right of ownership should go to whoever paid for it, so long as past discrepancies have nothing to do with the current owner. People cannot be held responsible for the acts of others, and should not be punished for them. There is no excuse for taking another person’s property. Imagine an item one holds dear being snatched away without hesitation or remorse. It is unthinkably cruel. It is a human right to own property. No one can take that away without repercussion. Using the excuses of “authority” and “righteousness”  to commit acts that are unlawful of others is disgraceful. When ones belongings are susceptible to “lawful seizure” because of someone else’s mistakes, no one is really safe.