One Year to Another - Life Stager

In February 2013, I began high school at St Clare's College. Despite starting off a couple days late, I caught up quickly with the feel of high school and began the year with a positive, excited vibe. After the first few weeks, the thrill of finally being a 'big kid' eventually passed and I started to feel the drain and exhaustion of working my hardest. I began to feel the typical moodiness of being a teenager and as I grew closer to my newfound friends, I grew further away from my family. I began to argue more often and was noticeably much more stubborn. It had finally dawned on me that for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 weeks a year for the next 6 years of my life; I would be sitting in a classroom. This didn't exactly stimulate any fabulous feelings, and at that moment, I made it my goal to just get through life day to day. Inside, I was stressed, but had decided not to do a thing about it. There was always one more thing I had to do on my list, one more friend to catch up with, one more piece of homework to complete. Just one more. This is how I began to live. Day to day I would only consider things that were either happening at the time or just about to happen. I ignored my future and pretty much forgot about how important it was. I sat at the back of class, was moderately quiet and kept my thoughts to myself for the most of the time. I continued in this way for most of the year, daydreaming and not really caring about my work or realising that it was important. I managed to keep up my grades to an average level, but if I had continued like this, I honestly don't think I would've coped much longer. At the conclusion of the year, my parent-teacher interviews told me a lot about how other people saw me. This inspired and motivated me to really strive for my best and consider (without stressing or taking it out on others) my future for the year ahead.

Early 2014, I began my second year of high school at St Clare's College. Despite having a rocky first year, I was happy to have a break from lazing around in the holidays and really get some productive work done. I felt so much more respected by my peers, teachers and girls in other years now that I wasn't one of the 'babies' of the school. I began with a positive, relaxed vibe and when I opened my eyes one Monday morning to get ready for just another school week, I realised 5 weeks of school had already passed. High school passes so incredibly fast and I realised that I needed to take the time to appreciate it. From then on, I made an effort every day to create a positive but focused atmosphere in class. I now make an effort to put up my hand and volunteer my thoughts and myself because I find that if you try new things, you learn so much more. I moved to the middle of class and made new friends who influence me in a good way. I made a new aim for myself to only surround myself with people who I find intellectually stimulating. So far I have succeeded, and I hope my friends find me one of those people too. I learnt how to cope and managed to find a balance between school, family, friends and sleep (phew).  Now in week 8 of term 1 of year 8, I still know that for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 40 weeks a year for the next 5 years of my life; I will be sitting in a classroom. But what's new is that this crazy fact no longer scares me. I feel prepared and am confident enough to say to life 'Bring It On'.