Hillary in High School: Final Week

I’m exasperated. The last bell has rung, firing students into summer. Finals are finished, and now I’m no longer a freshman. Wow, what I a year!

Hillary Bernhardt

I admit I’m too excited about summer to mourn the loss of never getting my freshman year of high school back, but I already feel a sense of nostalgia.

Like all the other ninth graders, I entered high school knowing where I stood on the food chain. Despite that, freshman year was a blast and the upgrades in high school were plentiful. Lockers increased in size, food selection grew in the cafeteria, and classes intensified.

High school abounded with new opportunities that I had never even considered. For the first time, I debated in competition (even though I’ve been arguing for years). Then, I found and held wild snakes while participating in Environmental Club.

Also, I said goodbye to my friend moving to Texas, played volleyball and basketball, incessantly talked on the phone, attended Homecoming and Sweetheart Dances, ferociously typed at my computer, watched movies at Bollywood Club, and graduated from high school Physical Education. Wheff!

And for the first time, I couldn’t do everything. Each interesting activity required a lot of time, forcing me to make decisions about my schedule. Unfortunately, most freshmen came to this conclusion when homework was left unfinished, friends felt neglected, and or when classes seemed more like bedtime.

This year scampered away faster than any other school year has before. My friends and I were perpetually busy, and it was harder to see them all with our different schedules. The hardest part of freshman year was trying to stay connected to all the people that I love.

High school is remarkable, but it has been the most chaotic, stressful, and unexpected year I have experienced. I have endured headaches, late nights, fits, and fights. But to all freshmen, it’s the high school experience.

Now, I’m officially a sophomore, otherwise known as a wise fool. If this year wasn’t enough, I wonder what will crop up when I’m a wise fool.