If you looked at my schedule on any given Monday over the past few years, it probably didn’t make a whole lot of sense. As soon as the final bell rang, I would head over to the Harbinger meeting. As soon as that wrapped up, I’d spend the afternoon running until my lungs burned at track practice, unlace my sneakers, and immediately head over to a guitar lesson across town. Then I would be right back at school for jazz band rehearsal. By the time I finally got home, all I saw waiting for me was mountains of homework waiting to be done.
It was a lot. I would be lying if I said I never thought about quitting one thing and focusing on the other.
But it was not always like that for me. In my freshman year, I barely did anything. Whether it was laziness or the fear of trying new things, all I did was go to school and go home for the entire year. I played it safe, and looking back on it as a senior, it is one of my biggest regrets.
Finally, in my sophomore year, my mindset changed. I was no longer scared to venture out, and I made it my mission to become as involved with the school as I could. In doing this, I met amazing people, found new interests and learned what makes Algonquin so special.
The number of different clubs, opportunities and organizations here at Algonquin makes it impossible to get bored. You don’t have to pick one niche here. You are encouraged to tap into all of your interests.
While this newly found mindset may have made my schedule chaotic, it kept things interesting. I quickly realized that the nerves that stopped me from trying new things freshman year were the same nerves I felt lining up for a race or getting ready for a concert. The only difference is that instead of letting those nerves hold me back, I learned to use them to push me forward.
High school is way too short to be trapped in a box doing one thing. If I could tell anyone coming to high school for the first time, one thing I would tell them is to try new things. Join the club, try out for the team and enjoy the chaos. While it may feel stressful or tiresome at the time, you will look back as a senior reminiscing about every second.
