My last first semester of high school has definitely been a difficult one. Originally, I had my schedule planned so that I would have the easiest year possible, but in the hopes that one of my friends and I would have all the same classes, my Senior Foods got switched to a Research and Design, and my Blended Honors Senior Rhetoric became an AP Literature. All that, and we got absolutely no classes together (I really do not know how that is possible, especially because we both had to have early dismissal and fifth-period lunch for Student Government).
I have grown greatly this past semester because I was pushed far out of my comfort zone. A lot of my classes, especially Research and Design and BusinessINCubator are heavily group-project based, and being in a class where I had no friends forced me to meet new people. I am also somewhat of a textbook learner in that I usually do much better when I am tested on something that I read in the textbook the night before, making projects to build pinhole cameras out of wood difficult for me. However, I feel that I have learned a lot more about myself this year and my ability to problem-solve. I have learned how to use power tools,
My pinhole camera! It is very ugly but It worked!
give business pitches, derive functions and how to make sense of streams of consciousness, teaching me how to do things I never thought I would have to- expanding my schema of what it means to learn beyond the words of a textbook. Growing past the type of education I was so used to has made every accomplishment so much more rewarding, and I feel much more proud of every milestone I was able to achieve. That a-ha moment when Vardaman’s fixation on fish and vultures makes sense, or when my pinhole project is light-tight and able to take a clear photo are truly some of the highlights of my educational career. Though it has been an unexpectedly very difficult semester, I have found it to be one of the most rewarding because I have had to work a little bit harder for everything.
I know that everybody says that junior year is the hardest of high school, but I have found senior year to feel the longest and most arduous. This can probably be accredited to the fact that the end to my 12+ years spent in a District 203 classroom is coming to an end. The anticipation of college decisions and graduation also scare me greatly, making me want to skip to the next chapter so I don’t have to wait anymore. Unlike a lot of my friends who have had dream colleges since Kindergarten and have always known what profession they want to get into, I have always been unsure. My entire family (my brother, sister, mom, dad, and all
My UIUC siblings! Go Illini!
aunts/uncles on both sides) have gone to UIUC, so when I am asked where I want to go, I often just say Champaign because it is the easiest. But, if the college-application process has taught me anything, it is that there are so many incredible schools out there, and a place out of Illinois exists, and I need to consider all my options. Although UIUC is still an amazing school that I would be truly privileged to attend (and I am definitely not ruling out), I also need to consider all choices so that I have no regrets. So, my advice is in a time of making huge, life-changing decisions, make sure each one is for yourself.
The last six months have taught me that sometimes the harder path is the more rewarding one, and that big life choices are ones that I can’t feel forced into. These are both lessons I have taken away from the first semester that I will carry into the second and the rest of my life, as the beginning of my next chapter has only just started. I have also learned many other smaller lessons, such as I will not miss swimming, how to quit a job, ice skating is not bad, and to put an Airtag on my wallet so that I don’t lose it (or my connected keys) for a month, have to cancel all my family’s credit cards and order a new driver’s license only for the tennis team to find it on the Huskie bus. So, even though the first semester ha s been a hard one, it deserves a big thank-you for all these lessons, the big and the small, all things I will carry into whatever comes next.
Hey Joanna,
I had a bit of the opposite experience. Rather than taking senior year easy as some suggested, I for some reason decided to take the hardest possible combination for myself. Unfortunate, but why do all of the classes I wanted to take have to be hard? I would be down for a chill physics or math class, but whatever. In the process, though, I actually ended up having a lot of classes with people I know. All my friends must be nerds.
It is hard to not have class with your friends, though. You do end up meeting a lot of new people, though. Some of these force interactions have resulted in some of my closest friends.
Learning wise, I am the opposite of you. I learn by doing, and learning solely from a textbook is a bit of a challenge for me. I really did not like honors biology, too much reading. I would much rather be doing and learning hands on, so maybe I would have loved to take Research and Design. Too late to know now, but I plan on pursuing engineering so I’ll probably return to that in the future! Fingers crossed.
I enjoyed reading about your experience, and I am excited to see where you end up!
Hey Joanna! Your picture of the pinhole camera was fascinating. I remember when my brother took research and design, and he really enjoyed it. It. I honestly relate so much to your blog, because I feel like I didn’t really challenge myself Junior year and my classes just came easy to me. I had expected the same to occur this year even though I was taking a much heavier course load. Obviously, it wasn’t easy for me and I would say I am still transitioning into getting used to this course load. I feel like my hardwork has in a sense been rewarding but honestly, I don’t know if I would say my personal experiences were worth it. I just think about all of my sleepless nights studying for derivatives and then bursting in tears the next day. Ria can vouch for this. I have found I get very emotional over…nothing? I think my emotions just bottle up and then go out through the tears that don’t ever stop. My dog, Hugo however, has helped me so much in calming down and grounding me. He is just always so happy and it reminds me that in the long run, I’ll be okay. Oh to live like a dog.
Hello Joanna, i love reading this as I am sitting right next to you. Yes, this semester has been so difficult. Same, I was going to take such easy classes, but my sister told me i should continue taking hard classes as it will look bad if i drop from ap to regular. While she has a point, this semester has been brutal. Yes, I feel like the senior year has really pushed me beyond my capacity lol. However, that is how you grow. I know next semester when we are chilling and happy with where we are going to spend the next four years, all this will be worth it. Wow you talked about Vardaman, I love that for you. Yes!!! Senior year is so much worse than Junior year. People undermine how hard it is and how much one can balance. I fell under that boat!! Yes, go ILLINI! I can so see you there and it is great that your siblings go there and you can see them there too. I know that wherever you go you will shine and thrive. You are one of the brightest and kindest people I met, and you have the power to make any room light up. I can’t wait to see how far you go in life!
Hi Joanna! I am currently in tears because I know that you are referring to me in the first paragraph. It was a big change going from having every class together last year to none this year. But we have grown into our own people and we have learned we can meet new peers and make new memories. This year was definitely full of group projects and many presentations but I felt like that better suited us than learning from a textbook. I mean look at us, we are running our own companies and becoming entrepreneurs as I type! I know college is a big worry on your mind and that you have no idea where you want to go but I promise I will be here to support whatever decision you make! You are one of the best people I know and any university will be lucky to have you (just not Pepperdine please, too far). The fact that I might not be able to see you every day next year is something I cannot even imagine. No more morning Starbucks runs or Fresh Thyme at lunch. I am not even sure how I will be able to do it. But for now, I choose to live in the present I can worry about college later.