During my first week at Darlington, which was also my first week of high school, I experienced something that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I attended only St. Mary’s Catholic School during 10 years of my life, and I didn’t have any friends outside of St. Mary’s. After we graduated from 8th grade, only around 10 of us from St. Mary’s were actually transitioning to Darlington for our freshman year, which made my first day of high school somewhat difficult for me.
At first I felt alone on my first day at Darlington because most of my St. Mary’s friends had different schedules, and I didn’t know anyone, even though everyone else seemed to know each other. By lunch, it felt as if I would never adjust to my new school life, but my day changed completely after I hesitantly sat down to eat with a few people whom I didn’t know.
What I didn’t expect was that one person at the table started to ask me questions and tried to get to know me, which eventually led to a larger conversation between everyone at the table. I will never forget this moment for the rest of my life because this completely changed my attitude toward my new school life, and I suddenly felt more comfortable and more at home at Darlington. Furthermore, if that one person hadn't started talking to me, I wouldn’t have gained the courage to talk to others and start so many new friendships in such a short time, which made my freshman year very enjoyable.
Even though you might be nervous and afraid to talk to others during your first day, week or year of high school, try to put your nervousness or fear in the back of your mind and try to get to know more people. You’ll later regret not doing so because you may miss out on friendships that you never had. Also, if you don’t try to help others overcome their nervousness or fear of talking to others, you’ll miss out on even more possible friendships. Overall, the message I’m trying to make is that if you try to create more friendships throughout your years of high school, you’ll end up with a high school experience that you’ll never forget.
During my four years at Darlington, I also learned something very important—try to find the activities that are best suited for you and stick with them until you finish high school. I played baseball during my freshman year, but it didn’t work out. I realized that baseball wasn’t a good fit for me, and I eventually found and joined crew, a.k.a. the rowing team, at the beginning of my sophomore year. I’m grateful that I found an activity well suited for me so early on and have been able to enjoy it for the past three years.
My final advice is to make many friends and find an activity well-suited for you, and if you successfully reach these goals, you’ll have the most unforgettable and enjoyable high school life that anyone could have.
