Final

"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 that others would not like 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 the last row.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. Being in an ensemble taught me how to be responsible for my learning, to look out for others, and to perform my best.

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 continue going to school in Moanalua. 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. However, this time I was going to a new school where I knew people. I took my performance skill from orchestra and applied it to my summer PE  class. The course wasn't so bad because it pushed me to work hard through the physical pain and to mentally get over whatever was holding me back.

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 an agenda for myself in my upcoming high school career. I couldn't stick to my goals 100% because of how everything was so new with the 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. It wasn't like middle school where I was actively involved and self applied to my classes. At times when my grades would slip from A's to B's to C's and the worse was a D,  I'd 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 working.

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 first 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 and to actively commit to what matters to me and exceed in it. The only way to succeed in anything is to commit to it.