Assignment #4 - Irene Kim - High School is a Struggle

If you know me or have had a conversation with me at all, you probably know that I'm incredibly oblivious. Not only do I struggle to keep up with lectures and discussions in class, but I'm also very lacking in the general knowledge area. In terms of my own future, this includes preparing for college--taking college tours, knowing what colleges are looking for in applicants, and doing those things.

As you can imagine, high school was a huge reality check for me. While everyone was busy doing college visits and building their resumes, I was still watching Disney movies and barely finishing the homework due the next day. So as I entered my first year of high school, I quickly scanned a list of career paths and decided I would look into the medical field. I joined Future Medical Professionals club and began attending their monthly meetings, started volunteering at the local Korean school, joined Beta Club and Student Council, and overall just started seeking out more academic opportunities. While this bolstered my academic status and while many ended up being very valuable experiences, it was a whole stressload—I spent more days cooped up in my room doing extra work and losing a lot of time on the weekends.

My parents, noticed this and suggested I focus on my own well-being and mental health before anything else. Most any teenager would know, but anxiety—especially social anxiety—isn't easy to deal with, especially when being involved in a myriad of clubs that require social gatherings. I dropped Beta Club and Student Council but continued Medical Club (upon discovering it was actually very interesting and close to my interests) and Korean school. This past year, spending more time outside of my room and out in the open has been incredible. I'm incredibly blessed to have parents who put more weight on my well-being than any form of academic success. My dad loves finding new places for us to hike each weekend, and we love taking walks in our neighborhood and visiting the orchard or arboretum. It's normal things that people do, but it really is the little things that make your life better.

Coming into junior year--which is supposedly the most stressful year, the year we begin our college application processes—I think it's important that we make time for ourselves as well as our academic pursuits. It's great to devote time to preparing for college and engaging in academic interests, but at the same time, make sure you're not over-stressing. Junior year, I think, comes with a certain bias and stereotype of being the 'most important' or 'most stressful' year of high school--it doesn't have to be that way. Challenge that ideal by balancing your own life out--spending more time outside, doing the things you love, spending time with your family and friends. :)