Jameson+M’s+OpEd+Article

=**Disregard Reality, Accept Your Own**=

It’s a common saying that the Junior year of high school is the crux of the teenager’s high school career. What makes it so difficult? Who makes it so difficult? Does the environment foster a sense of disillusionment, or do the tacit social pressures squeeze students to push themselves the way they do? Are teachers responsible for an overworked student’s depravity of sleep? Are college admissions officers accountable for the anxiety attacks of a stressed student with a 110% packed schedule?

The answer is: //nothing above.//

The individual chooses the life that they want to live. Teenagers, believe it or not, are essentially in the prime of their life in terms of excitement. Despite maturity shortcomings, teenagers are temporarily gifted with an enhanced sense of passion, energy, and curiosity. Many critics of the American college education “path” claim that the system numericalizes teenagers, makes them sacrifice their “prime” for hours of homework merely for a stepping stone to eventual success. Emphasis on **//eventual//** success.

I spoke with a senior this evening about her Junior year experience. She related that she “lost many passions during her Junior year”, and while that’s “sad”, its just a writ of passage.

There is no written rule that says this period of life //**has**// to be this way. The key is to accept your own reality, grab the reins in //**your**// hands and not let them control you. If you truly are passionate about all of those extra curricular activities, truly love learning and challenging your mind with AP, and live and die for your sport, then you should fill your life with those things. If not, there’s **NOTHING** wrong with that. Don’t let yourself become disillusioned; don’t feel obligated to do what //they// might think is appropriate.

Teenagers are often trapped by their own preconceptions. We set goal after goal, not realizing that, as we meet one goal, another is **instantly** set again. We push in high school, to go to a 4-year college, to get a secure occupation in the American workplace, and have a stable lifestyle. The work doesn’t end here come summertime. Each level can be only a stepping stone to the next level, unless the one crucial variable changes: the mindset of the person. There will always be a gap between the person and their goal, until they learn to live //**HERE**//, and not //**THERE**//.

//“If you are depressed you are living in the past.// //If you are anxious you are living in the future.// //If you are at peace you are living in the present.”//