hi beautiful person —
i hope you’re doing super well.
as a new junior in high school, i think you know what this means. endless amounts of homework and tests and projects and stress and tears but at the same time, learning more about ourselves and making so many memories. in this article, i hope to explain my strategies and thoughts as we approach this new year with uncertainty and nervousness.
i think pretty much everyone knows by now that junior year is the hardest 180 days of high school. however, at the same time, we’re going into it somewhat blindsided, and not really completely sure as to what we’re jumping into.
but… what if we change that?
from now on, for the next 170-something days of school, overestimate everything. pretend that that math test is going to be the hardest exam of your life so that you put in more time and more effort to study and guarantee the grade you want. don’t sleep in on the weekends (unless you absolutely have to) so that you don’t lose your rhythm of waking up early. and work harder and faster and more efficiently and more productively than you ever have in your entire life.
how much of this year and what your grades are and such will actually matter in the future? haha! none.
but you know what will? these life skills that you gain by spending that extra time and overestimating everything. you’ll learn to be more organized, more efficient, and more effective.
“no way apuroopa!” you say.
“but that’s not even the best part, wait!” i counter.
the best part… are you ready? because you overestimate and overstudy and overprepare, you’re more likely to breeze through whatever tasks you have to do because they’ll seem a lot easier than whatever horrendously terrifying situation you made up in your head.
so literally - be scared. make every decision as to where you want to spend your time and energy as if your life depended on it.
Remember, though, “You win some, you lose some, but you gotta move on.”
-Hawk from Cobra Kai Season 5
yes, sometimes things will not work out in your favor and as much as it is the worst feeling in the world, don’t let it take you down. it’s just one grade, one letter, one percentage, or one piece of feedback. it doesn’t define you nor does it discount all the numerous efforts you’ve put in thus far.
you are who you are regardless of the outcome because what matters is what you put in. so what are you waiting for? challenge yourself this year, and make yourself better - closer to the person you’ve always wanted to be. the clock’s ticking.
find your balance, strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy. flip the script!
cheers,
your favorite cobra kai fan and an even larger hawk fan,
apuroopa :)