Personal Narrative: What I Learned In High School

At this time of year, I begin to look back at my life after 12 hard years of schooling. Throughout the course of my life, there have been many ups and downs, but these up and downs is what made me who I am today. These influences have shaped my values, attitudes and beliefs towards life. There have been many important people and events that has impacted my life. One of which is family and the media.

Not a bad change, but certainly a busy one, though not at first. Much of this came with Drama club, a thing I had had interest in but very little actual experience. This would take over much of my time after school, though much of my time in the program was spent behind curtains or working the house. I was a great student through high school too, taking all honors and AP classes. I was still a great reader and found I had a fantastic memory.

Before entering this class I thought I was a well written writer, although as I continued to come to class and work on assignments I then had realized I could use alittle improving. Writing seems to come very naturally for me because I write all the time. I tend to write poetry to express what i 'm feeling at times, it is how I ventilate what it is that I am feeling. So when thinking about topics it is not very difficult for me due to the fact that most of the time I know exactly what it is I would like to write about. Taking this class has showed me how to be a more effective writer and a more effective researcher.

When I walked into Mr. Clayton’s class last year on the first day of school I laughed when he said, “I’m going to teach you how to read.” Little did I know he wasn’t kidding. I was a little intimidated taking his class because in my previous freshman year I was in non-honors English 1. All my life I’ve had trouble interpreting and really understanding beyond the general storyline. The first thing Mr. Clayton talked to us about was learning the deeper meaning behind things

Being in my second year of college has brought me to face difficulties in my classes. I have learned that college is as hard as many used to tell me. I have struggled with some exams and at times I have felt stressed over the workload. But this has just strengthened my desire to work hard to one day become what I truly desire. I have learned that sacrifice, such as studying instead of watching my favorite show on the weekends is what will help me succeed.

4:30 is when cram time starts. I’m in the barn and it smells like shampoo, showsheen and sheep. Colors of show coats line the aisles, while last minute feed is given to them. The sound of sheep bleats, blowers and sheers are deafening, but the adrenaline rushing through you muffles the sounds of it all. Hope rushes through your veins as butterflies ties a knot in your stomach as you know the showmanship will feel like you are out there for hours.

I enrolled in college not knowing what exactly to expect and with many doubts but by taking that gigantic leap out of my comfort zone, my life has changed drastically. In high school, I was never the type of student to strive for A’s or to be on the honor roll. My siblings were the ones who did great in school with minimum effort but I struggled and often became discouraged. I remember vividly telling my mother I was going to drop out in the ninth grade.

Spending the day with the IV team went great. I spent most of the clinical day with Michelle Denton as my teacher. She is very meticulous and likes things her way, but she was an amazing preceptor to learn from. Throughout the day I am pretty sure I walked every hall in the KU hospital. I honestly didn’t know how big that facility was before yesterday and I am seriously still amazed.

At first I started off taking 1 or 2 classes per semester, but outside interference had me gradually upping the classes. Between work, a lack of motivation due to not having any idea of what I wanted out of life carved out, and pressure from family, I found myself not prepared for these classes. This is what you will see as you look up and down my transcript and see W's and WF's. You will see the unachieved goals, the times I thought I was an angel, the times I dreamt of being perfect. At the time of writing this paper I am 23 years old.

I also learned more in depth why my education is a huge deal, especially now that I am becoming a teacher. Seriously, you may not realize it yet, but you have to become an adult! You need to treat college as if it is a job and be sure to be as professional as you can about it. Personally, I regret not doing as well as I could have my freshman year, but now I am working harder to meet my goals. That’s what it’s all about, Fixing your mistakes so your future can be the best.

I learned that any barrier you face there is always an option to overcome it and be successful. I can grow by working my hardest on my school work and never giving up, even when things get hard. I also learned that time management is a very great skill to obtain at this time in my life, because college courses take time, effort, and lots of patience. I must give myself time to prepare for class work and especially exams. Having a schedule for my school work and my personal life is the best choice to help me stay on track.

One of the places that I have personally observed and felt judgments based on my gender and presence was in high school debate. A fun fact about me is that I competed in Speech and Debate for four years and earned four varsity letters from my beloved GlenOak High School. My category was known as Public Forum Debate and my partner was my long time best friend Malcolm Guy IV. Two teams consisting of two people would give alternating speeches for their side, either affirming or negating the selected topic of the month.

I am growing. So here comes September, drowning in leaves the color of burnt umber, the promise of education and decay growing soggy underfoot. Here is the pregnant pause, the tumultuous cliff over which must be crossed. In the autumn, it’s impossible to gaze upon the outcome--a small pair of nervous, shaking hands inside of a shroud of darkness the color of pale gold cast upon thin shoulders.

Whenever I was in the eighth grade I was put into a few classes with a teacher I knew that I was not going to like. The first day of school I walked the dreadful walk to her classroom after science class and knew that Mrs. Jackson was going to be horrible. I was never really the student who had to study throughout middle school, so whenever I was put into Honors English, I just knew that I had set myself up for failure. Mrs. Jackson was one of those teachers who loved her job, you could see it in the way she smiled, she loved the way that a book could change someones

I believe that Christopher sees himself as normal but at the same times he knows he isn’t like everyone else. He deals with the fact that he is different from others by keeping to himself and not talking to strangers. He also doesn’t really get how they are and he knows they act different from him. “I do not like strangers because I do not like people I have never met before. They are hard to understand (pg.31)”.