Unit 1: Draft

One of the most potential life changing moments that happened in life was in my final year of High School. I don’t believe there was any other laid back person in the grade than me. I started class at 7 and would leave at 12. I couldn’t have been blessed anymore for a shorter schedule. I didn’t get much homework and the only class that forced me to actually put effort into my work was math and my business elective. There was no wiggle room, I couldn’t breeze through the class. The teachers were behind my shoulder all the time. I could barely talk to any one in both these classes, everyone around me seemed so introverted. I would have these classes EVERY day. I couldn’t stand it. When school was over, I would leave in the early afternoon and sometimes go to lunch and hangout with my junior friends, then sneak into their gym class after lunch and play soccer with them even though I could’ve went home. (I was on the soccer team around the beginning of the year, September- November). In my soccer team there weren’t that many seniors two-to-three, me included. There were mostly juniors and I have developed a bond with them. I was hanging out with them more than I did with seniors. We’d go out, hang out at each other’s houses, etc. While I was balancing that and my school work, especially these two classes, I would get about 50s-60s in all exams, quizzes and it wouldn’t bother me because I would still pass the marking period with a low 70 or 65. As long as I passed right? I would just focus on that. All my other classes I wouldn’t even put half my effort into. Assignments or anything else I would get it from others or find it online. So I decided to give math and the elective about half my attention. Fast Forward to the second semester, (January- June) Soccer was now over, I had picked up a new sport, swimming. We would have practice 3 times a week 5-7pm. The class that was bugging me the most was the business elective, he would assign us literal essays for homework on things like analyzing a company. I looked at their 10k’s and it was exhausting. So I had the class dropped. And now I only had math to worry about. In my second marking period of the second semester, I got a 55 for math. At first I didn’t really think of it as a big deal, I just told myself, “Damn, I’ll do better next time.” I didn’t know that the 55 could have me go to summer school.  And the way it goes is that if you fail more than one marking period, you don’t graduate. When I did end up taking it seriously, was when I was heading to my friend’s house to meet up and go play soccer. I got a call from my mother saying there was a letter about my 55 in class. She told me to come home that instant. Now, my mother panics on a whole different level. It’s like the world is ending. My mother had become so sad and depressed about this that she couldn’t be normal. The thought of her son not being able to graduate high school killed her. Seeing her upset made me upset and I became so sad towards everything. This was where my life just went downhill so fast, I had crashed and didn’t know if I could get up. I have decided that I have to graduate. Imagine repeating the year again and having my junior friends be in the same class as me, I would be so embarrassed and they would tease me for it non stop, I could never win an argument! And I would be behind while they are on track. My life would literally be put on pause. These last couple months can define my whole life. So I learned ultimately that whatever you do, you can not go into it without putting 100% into it, especially education. There are people in Afghanistan who are risking their lives to go to school to get an education and I am here taking advantage of it. It’s sad and disappointing. So I got myself together, studied, canceled plans with friends, and I started to score higher on all my assignments. The score that really secured my spot was the final, I had gotten 91 in it. That averaged all my marking period grades to a 75 and I ended up graduating. Now I learned a lesson about life just now, it is hard and if you go 50% into it, it will leave you with nothing. I now know the importance of education and what it can do for me and how I have to work with it.