So the first month of school is over! I had some nerves going into junior year, but I managed to survive the first few weeks relatively unscathed. I also managed to learn some stuff, which is why I'm introducing--drumroll, please!--my monthly reflections. Usually a month just passes by, with me saying some thanks for living to see another month but not really thinking about what happened, how I learned from it, and all that good stuff. It sounds like I'm going all philosophical but you do learn something new every day--or even every month!
*It's good to get out of your comfort zone. For the past two years of high school, aside from some exceptions, I've lived comfortably and happily in my own little bubble. I'd whip out one of my books during the day, pore over my notes, and when I wasn't doing schoolwork I was holed up in my room. Now 11th grade has me fairly busy and all, but I'm making more time to be sociable. I'm going to the homecoming dance, something I wouldn't dream of doing last year or freshman year, and I'm interested in going to football games and having extracurricular activities. It's hard to totally break out of the protective shell at first, but in the long run it's worth it. Trust me!
*Hard work hardly fails...but if it does, try again and again. When my upperclassman friends told lowly sophomore me that junior year was going to be the toughest, I wasn't sure if they were exaggerating or not. News flash: they weren't. 11th grade is proving to be tough, especially AP U.S. History. I have gotten some less-than-satisfactory grades despite studying vigorously. Still, I have to chin up and keep going over my notes, ask questions, and most importantly, not give up. It's better to have a B-minus than become one of those teenagers who just doesn't care about school.
*Sometimes you can have fun inside the bird cage. The 'bird cage' I'm referring to is Snellville/Snellvegas and Lawrenceville, or, on a larger scale, Georgia in general. I was bummed out that my last week or so would be spent at home, but my family and I went to Lake Lanier and fully enjoyed it! It was a great experience and led me to stop being such a hipster about not being able to go to more interesting and exotic places. Wherever you live has some cool stuff to it if you just relax and look.
* Sometimes the need for boy friends > the need for boyfriends. I haven't been the greatest at talking to boys, mostly because boys tend to be more confident and there's also the risk of crushing on them, which sometimes leads to trouble, especially if they don't like you back. But I've been attempting to connect more with the guy friends I made last year, and I'm so glad to shove aside those silly relationship worries and just enjoy the awesome guys in my life who don't annoy me to no end. :)
Here's hoping September goes just as well for me. Later!
