3 Senior Reflections

1.   My phone is my most valuable possession. Although the phone changes every few years and sounds like a very materialistic possession, the phone is my link to the outside world. It is the first tool I use in the morning to check my email, and the last thing I use at night before I go to bed. It gives me the ability to instantly connect with friends, family, and colleagues, and share parts of my life with other people through mediums like Snapchat. My phone also acts as a warning, reminding me of the dangers of becoming addicted to technology and always keeping a grounded approach. As much as it acts as easy access to the rest of the world, it also keeps me a part of the world, reminding me to stay active, spend time with people in person, and not lose touch with reality by going into the phone screen. I had been asking for a phone for the entirety of my eight grade year, so not losing touch was the one condition I had to agree to receive a phone for high school. Although I have struggled with it at times, I have to say that my phone has made me a more efficient and aware person.

2.   My usual routine includes waking up, having a cup of milk, going to school, coming home and working, doing something active, or spending time with friends, and then going to sleep. During the weekend, my schedule largely remains the same, with school time being replaced by recreational work. This schedule was largely solidified during my junior year. In recent months, however, I have put an extra emphasis on exercise and spending time with friends. I am happy with my typical day--I find it to have a good balance of work and play. I believe that activity and keeping the mind active is immensely important, and my average day accomplishes that task. I believe that happiness is not only having the things that you want, but being able to use and enjoy them to the fullest. Keeping active, busy, and working hard ensure that I am able to get all the things that I want and enjoy them as much as possible.

3.    Looking back at myself as a Freshman, I would consider myself a pushover. In group projects, I wouldn’t push for ideas I thought would work; from a social perspective, I would always give deference to other people, putting their opinions and desires above my own; I wouldn’t stand up for myself. Due to this mindset, I became very passive, and did things like forfeit some elections as to not run against my friends. Participating in socratic seminars during my Sophomore year showed me the dynamic nature of classrooms and contesting ideas, and taught me to be more confident about my opinions. Don’t get me wrong--I still give deference to people and go out of my way to help others, but I push for the things I want, and make sure that I am able to help myself while helping others.

My greatest academic challenge was definitely the in-class essay. Until my Sophomore year, I would always supplement my work schedule with TV and social media breaks, essentially lowering my work efficiency and making me take longer to finish my homework. My first in class essay was a work ethic shock--I’d never spent an entire hour and thirty minutes doing nothing but work before. While it was difficult, it taught me an important lesson in focus and not allowing distractions when completing work. This lesson has affected me in nearly every aspect of my life, and has made me a more efficient person when working and communicating.