What’s the real reason we go to school? Is it because our parents force us? Because without school we can’t succeed in life? Or because it’s where our friends reside?  

For years I went to school day-by-day in the routine of waking up and getting ready just to take a 7-minute bus ride to school. All this time, I never stopped to consider the purpose of what I was doing in one place for 7 hours each day. This was a routine I followed until I stepped into high school two years ago.

In high school, all of a sudden the work was harder and I struggled to balance school work with sports. I slept less and less, averaging a measly six hours a night and making up for it during classes.  The work weighed me down and was made almost unbearable with my own individual social issues brought forth by my peers.

However, I  realize that no matter what, it’s an experience, one I know I will miss when I graduate in 2020. It’s an experience I continue to endure because my parents wouldn’t allow otherwise. It’s an experience that will allow me to succeed in life. It’s an experience that’s given me many amazing moments and friends.