Personal Narrative: My Sophmore Year Of Highschool

I made a decision at fifteen most teenagers do not have to make until their senior year of high school. I decided to venture on my own in order to better my future. Sophomore year, I started attending a residential high school for top performing students in the state of Louisiana. Over the past three years, I lived alone while my parents have traveled all over the continental United States therefore learning how to take care of myself at a young age. Additionally, in a diverse learning community such as the Louisiana School of Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA), I was able to learn how to work and live with students whose minds function differently than mine.

Being a freshman is the hardest of your four years in high school. Have you ever been pressured to be the best person you can be? This is how my year was as a freshman. Freshman year was the most different I never thought I would of found my way around the school when I first started to go there. Freshman year was the best year throughout my years of high school and it was the only year I had friends. During this year I had a lot of anxieties which dealt with me thinking I’m gonna be alone and not have any friends throughout the year to support me through the whole thing. Also, I would think of the pressure of not doing good in any of my classes so I would think it would affect my GPA in the future. The transition from middle school to high school was a different type of thing to do.

In all my years of school, I never really enjoyed reading or writing. In elementary and middle school, I didn't hate it but I didn't look forward to it. Although, the books we had to read were not bad and I did enjoy some of them. Once high school came along, all the assignments got harder and my dislike for reading and writing grew stronger. Overall, I would say my Sophomore year was the worst but not because of the assignments but something else bigger than that.

Do you believe in bad luck? I'm not talking about just walking under a ladder, or spilling table salt. Rather, sometimes in your life you just run into a tough patch and must persevere through it. This is a very good description of my physical health during my Junior year of high school. You see I broke three bones in a span of 8 weeks, and they were all during athletic endeavors. I broke my right leg playing in a football game, and I broke both bones in my left forearm playing in a basketball game.

“The hardship and all the challenges you go through in life make you who you are,” my mother once said. Thankfully, I haven’t faced many obstacles or challenges in life yet. However, a major turning point of my life occurred when I was in middle school.

Coming from a low-income family a majority of the money goes towards necessities and doesn't leave much for other expenses such as private tutors which in turn caused me specifically during my high school years to take advantage of educational opportunities offered by the school. During my sophomore year up to my senior year, I utilized the advanced and honors courses offered by the school. I started small with just one or two advanced classes but by the time it got to my senior year four out of my six classes were advanced. At the beginning, it was difficult to deal with the demanding and fast-paced courses it took me about the first month of the school year to become accustomed to them.

Sports are something a lot of people love, softball was my favorite. I had also played volleyball for a long time, however after my freshman year I lost the desire to play any longer. My heart was with softball, doing anything and everything I could to make myself the best player I could be.

Not everyone has memories from there junior high years, memories sadly aren’t great I wasn’t considered the best student in the eighth grade, I was always in the office, suspended, and in In-school suspension other than being in trouble all the time my eighth grade year was the best.

I lived in multiple neighborhoods growing up. I never lived in one place for a long period of time. So I had to get used to a new environment, a new school, etc., every couple years. I went to three different elementary schools and two different high schools. The only time my family and I stayed in a house for a long time, was during my middle school years. I stayed for half of my 5th grade year until the end of 8th grade. That was the only time I didn’t have to meet new people and get used to the environment I was in.

Ever felt that your best wasn’t good enough? That's exactly what I felt during my years in middle and high school. Growing up enjoying animated shows and doodling in my notebook, I had a breakthrough. Though it came to me in my first year of middle school, or at least as far back as I can remember, I wanted to grow up as an artist. As the years went by I narrowed my dream-job to be an animator, then finally to what I’m studying now (graphic design). As I grew and learned, I eventually succumbed to self pity and doubt. That went on till my last year in high school where I learned better. These days, I’m bettering myself by doing more and practicing more often with my art. I also grasped the idea of not letting the negative thoughts stop me from

With every year that goes by, it seems that high school gets to be more stressful for students. With big stakes and college applications ahead of many of my younger peers, there also seems to be more stress and less opportunities taken towards learning. From the countless classes that I have taken over my time in high school, the ones that I did not do so well in the beginning turned out to be the ones I have learned the most from. To give an example, let me talk about my first F I have ever received on a test in my life. In my sophomore year of high school, I decided to take the infamous Algebra II Honors taught by one of the toughest teachers at my school. The class in the beginning was a struggle because I was not understanding the concepts and I was scared to ask for

Leading into my sophomore year of high school, band was the center of my life. Providing social acceptance and a sense of purpose, I could always count on the fine art to get me through the drudgery of high school. Everything seemed to effortlessly go right. I naively believed my desires would always be provided for, as I was somehow the special (albeit, shy) exception. With this idea, I felt invincible going into my first serious audition. Unknown to me, this simple, six hour event, provided the stage on which my perspective would completely change.

Growing up, I was always known by my middle school teachers as that “scatter brained” girl with the low B/C average. After being tested for ADHD by multiple doctors, they all came to the conclusion that I just wasn’t trying hard enough. Entering my freshman year of high school, my determination to succeed in school was higher than ever. I stayed up late every night, went after school for help, and yet I still ended up with a low B average. After all of my hard work, I was still a failure through my and my parents eyes. Throughout sophomore year, my self-esteem in school was lower than ever, but my determination was still pushing me. The end of sophomore year, I hit rock bottom. Again after all of my hard work, I ended with a B average, and

Freshman year for me was like a baby carrying a boulder. 9th grade was definitely difficult, but it was an exciting ride. I have learned so much, especially from my teachers, some were tough to handle, but they taught me so much. In my freshman class we all were free and independent and we thought we can do anything but in reality it wasn't so easy. Days of listening to lectures from my teachers were really helpful. It was hard to handle some of my teachers, but at the end of the year each one taught me something. The things I was taught about this year was to not slack off, to care about my education, how I can balance my social life with my education, stress, time management, and so much more . This year I actually started caring about my future and my goals, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to accomplish them; getting into a good university, receive an education, follow my goals. Not only did school teach me about my education, but it taught me about my life and my future.

During my first year of high school, I hope to improve many things about my work habits, how I react to the stress of higher grade levels, and my confidence. One very important tool in high school, is the ability to balance your activities. I want to participate in clubs, earn good grades, and still have time to just relax. The mistake I made last year was spending to much time on the homework for one class and having to rush through the rest of my assignments. Balance is the key to effectively achieving anything. I also want to improve the mindset I have when I enter the classroom. During moments of school related stress I have a habit of freaking out and not thinking clearly. This year I want to practice staying calm, so I can appropriately