The summer before high school, my best friend and I decided to attend the fun run hosted by the cross country team. We both intended on joining the team in the fall, and as the motivated freshman we were, we showed up bright and early on a Sunday morning to run three miles around the Algonquin fields. Yet once we got to the school, surrounded by dozens of unfamiliar faces and experienced runners, we hid in the bathroom and panicked, contemplating ditching altogether. 

Little did I know that over the next two years, I would form some of my closest friendships to this day on the cross country team. I mean, there’s nothing that bonds a team more than throwing up after a 5K race in an apple orchard or having to breathe Reggie air while eating chicken tenders between races every weekend. Well, that’s until you quit (sorry Galvin). 

I ended up quitting a lot of things that I thought I would do for all of high school, and I don’t regret it. Before coming to high school, I never knew what to say when people asked what my favorite or least favorite class was (besides that I hate gym) or what I wanted to be when I grew up. And after four years here, I still don’t have much of an idea. 

I always hated public speaking, quit DECA after the first meeting (two years in a row) and somehow ended up as a business major—for now at least. I don’t remember anything from my two years of Spanish either, and I still don’t understand why we’re required to take two years of U.S. History.

However, what high school has taught me is how to prioritize my commitments (seriously, I hated hearing people complain about staying up past 3 a.m. every day), to find quality over quantity in my friendships and that an overpriced $6 cup of coffee can make any bad day slightly better. 

The bottom line is that high school is about learning what’s best for yourself, even if that includes quitting. There will be plenty of future opportunities to try new things and meet new people. In the end, it’s just high school.