BY: CLAIRE KIM
After going through one semester of freshman year, I have noticed a change within myself.
The format of high school has built me into this new, yet better person I never knew I would become. I have always been a talkative, energetic, curious little girl growing up and I wouldn’t pass a day without asking my dad over a hundred questions to cure my satisfaction. Although I still pertain to the same qualities as before, I have definitely improved in terms of modesty and respectfulness. After engaging in so many activities at school, I have grown this innate kind of behavior that allows me to be more gentle and humble to those around me. Also, I have become more rational in my thinking and real with my words. From time management to school work, high school has really shaped me into a more intellectually competent individual and given me the opportunities to improve myself in parts that I was unaware of.
As I was reading another girl’s story, I was intrigued about how much high school changes us so drastically. For some, like her, we become more open to ideas and build new relationships with people. I believe that there are so many benefits when it comes to high school and that’s why it’s probably the most memorable four years in everyone’s life.
But, if you think about it, high school for some can also be remembered as a terrible nightmare. At this point, this idea of competition starts to arise and this sense of enjoyment is lost as students try to one-up each other with academics and extracurriculars. It’s quite painful to think about. This is also a prime time in which cliques and bullying get developed more aggressively and it becomes a serious issue when signs of depression or self-harm start to occur.
I believe that high school is really the line in which people change in one direction or the other. From what I’ve seen, I have changed in a more positive direction, but I’m definitely scared of what is to come.
claire kim. 