The final blog! I remember logging onto Zoom for every class on my first day of high school, and so suddenly, it was the last. We look back to how much we have grown in these four years, and how our friends and teachers shaped us, hopefully all for the better. I’ve learned many lessons over these years and I think this is the perfect time to share them.
First, let’s talk about the course; AP Lit itself. I’ve always wanted to grow as a reader, and this class was the perfect opportunity. Reading a wide variety of books, some of which are not the most exciting to read (As I Lay Dying), but some offer incredible new perspectives on various topics. I however didn’t use this class to my advantage with reading especially. I always rushed the readings which didn’t let me learn and grow as a reader as much as I would have liked. One of the most important things I did learn however was about writing; not all of it has to be formal. Writing is a tool to express yourself, so write how you feel.
My favorite blog was the one about NYT games. During the first semester, I picked up the habit of playing all the NYT games, mainly Connections, wordle, and Mini. It was a fun hobby that didn’t take much time at all, and I was able to compete with my friends. All I wrote about was how such a small hobby had such a big impact on me. Writing blogs was a great way for me to appreciate the little things in my life that I often would overlook. The writing was nowhere near my best piece of writing, but it was a greatly effective one.
Moving on; advice I’ve learnt during my four years.
Starting with the most impo
rtant one: value the journey. We all have many goals we always want to accomplish, but once we reach it we look at what’s next. We become stuck in an endless cycle of unfulfillment. The real value is what we gain from the journey itself. Always try
to accomplish your goals, but slow down, and enjoy the entire way there. A goal of summiting a mountain, and the happiness that comes with it can instantly disappear by thinking of another mountain to climb. Cherishing the journey itself makes it much more valuable and important.
Second; take risks. By risks, I don’t mean irresponsible risks, but rather ones that extend our potential—maybe taking some harder classes that you once wouldn’t, beginning investing, or even picking a new hobby. We are always given choices in our lives, there is no way of knowing if one is better than the other, so we should be grateful for the opportunities we get, and jump at them. This ties into the voices novel I read; The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. To get past his situation he takes numerous risks to become a man of his own, a lifelong goal.
Anyway, take it easy slow down, and experience life as it comes!
Hey Adi! Having written a blog about NYT games as well I absolutely loved your blog on that. I’m not sure how but I’ve lost touch with the NYT games and found myself in a bit of a hiatus with them but I’m hoping to get back into it soon. Additionally I completely agree with your advice. I also wrote about valuing the journey and it’s something I wish I did more throughout my years. Also, taking risks is something that I’m hoping to add to my life now, but definitely recognized as an area of improvement in the past few years. You wrote some amazing blogs this year and I wish you the best!
Hi Adi,
I remember your blog about NYT games- it was so fun to read! I’ve also been developing an addiction to them this past year, something that has only been increasing ever since I found out how to access ALL of the games for free. For anyone reading this, here’s how: go to the Naperville Public Library’s website (naperville-lib.org), then go to “Browse” then “Newspapers & Magazines” then scroll down to the “New York Times” section and click on the link that says “New York Times Crossword & Games.” This should take you to a page where you can login to your NYT account and redeem the gift code. Ever since a friend told me about this, I’ve been doing crossword puzzles all the time and it’s actually becoming a bit of a problem haha.
Okay that I’m done advertising the library’s free resources, I completely agree with your advice. Most of my regrets from high school come from just that- not taking risks, being so focused on the results that you forget to enjoy the ride. These are definitely points that I’m telling all my underclassmen friends.
I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs this semester, thank you for sharing!
Anna-Maria :))
Hey Adi,
Your blog was really interesting to read and I feel like I can connect with a lot of the things you said. I liked your message about the value of slowing down and how you connected it in all parts of your post from rushing class books to ignoring the value of the journey over the destination. I feel like it’s really important not to get stuck in the future and to spend as much time as you can in the present and I feel like you portrayed that idea very well in your post. I also really liked your focus on taking risks. We all must push our boundaries and try new things because if we all stayed in our comfort zone we would never discover the people, places, and things that we love.
Hi Adi, I really like this blog and think that you really bring up some insightful points. For instance, I think everyone including me can relate to how fast highschool’s past. We all remember the very first year as a freshman during zoom half asleep, but now it feels like it was just yesterday. I think it is important to reflect on these years and the lessons that we’ve learned like you said as well. I remember reading your blog about the different NYT games you played and it was nice to read your explanation of the games and personal experiences with them and I’m sure it was fun to write. Lastly, I agree with a lot of the advice you give toward the ending of the post. It’s important to enjoy what you’re doing intrinsically and slow down if we need to, and also take risks to live our life to the fullest.
Hi Adi! It was great reading your final blog. I have to agree with most of everything you said. The time flew by, we started online and now I want to go back and tell myself to slow down because soon the time will all be gone. I really agree with you on your final two points. Humans are always looking to the future and that cheats the value of the present. Additionally, we have already achieved goals we said would make us happy. It’s incredible how hard we say we would work if given certain opportunities, but once we have those opportunities the work slows and what we told ourselves becomes false. But I also like your comment on taking risks. It’s not something that I am very good at, but it is important. Chess is like life and the worst thing you can do in chess is stay in the same spot.