Coming Of Age

"We are happy to congratulate you on your acceptance to MMS.." In that moment I felt as if I had won the last golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. These were the very words that had changed my life. It was what every GE applicant hopes to see as they open their letters. However, I was terrified to attend a school far away from home. I was going to a completely unfamiliar place where I didn't know anyone. The fact that I had to leave my old friends behind and make new ones. The thoughts constantly ran through my mind as if I was moving to another country. I was scared of people I haven't even met, that I would be that "new girl", and others not liking me. To make things worse, I didn't have a choice but to go to summer school.

Before middle school started, I learned how to play the Viola. It was the first string instrument that I ever played. So the only way to get better was to keep practicing. I made it my goal to be just as good as those who already knew how to play. During the summer, I was seated in the second to last row. But by mid quarter I was bumped up to section leader. I was extremely proud of myself knowing that my hard work and determination payed off. My next challenge was to effectively lead my section. To do so, I worked on exaggerating my bow strokes and pizz so that the other violists knew what was going on. I learned how to communicate with my section verbally and non verbally. Being in an ensemble taught me how to lead others, responsible for doing what's needed, and be dependable.

Middle school came to an end and it was time to register for high school.This meant that I needed to reapply a GE and that I was left waiting all summer long to find out if I was able to go to school with u new friends I had made from middle school.  To better my chance of acception, My parents gave me an option to continue orchestra or enroll into me emac. After two years of orchestra, I felt that I wasn't as interested in doing it in high school so I decided to give MeneMac a shot. I had no choice but to go to summer school again for the third year in a row. but this time, I was going to a new school where I knew people. My PE class wasn't so bad. It pushed me to work hard through the physical pain and to mentally get over what ever is holding me back.

Before I knew it school started before I could finish my mile run for PE. As I complained about it, I realized how fast time passed. Then it hit me that it was the first day of high school tomorrow and that I needed to set agenda for myself in these upcoming four years. I couldn't stick to my goals 100% because of how everything was so new with integrated media classes, world language, and extra curricular activities happening throughout the year. As school was back in session, I slowly began to slip and fall behind in school. I struggled in my math, english, and biology class. It wasn't like middle school where the teachers were leniant, classes were predicable, and homework wasn't so stressful. At times when my grades would slip from A's to B's to C's and the worse was a D,  id lose motivation and let them slip to a totally unacceptable standard. When this happened to me in math, I was almost done with even bothering to try. However I did the opposite by getting help, redid my tests and raised my grade up to a B. It was one of the times when I needed to face reality and get crap done. So I had to change my ways. The fun and games were over. It was time to get down to work.

I continued the rest of the year by completing quality work before they were due and coming in for help when there was a slight chance of me falling behind. I was better at math because I actively listened and participated in class. Some things haven't changed like my writing skills. I was strong in other standards but I struggled in English because of MY TERRIBLE WRITING. To be honest I feel like this one sucks because my story is weak but, I just need to write more to get better. What I learned through my fist year of high school was that no one will wait for me if I fall behind and that everything should be done in the smallest amount of time but with quality. I still have two more years to go and have many more obstacles to overcome. One obstacle right now is to get back into staying determined and motivated to be on top of my school work. Life will not give you what you want without you earning it. Knowing this I am going to get things together so that I don't fall behind again.