My First day in Junior High

It can be rather odd that, even after a considerable period, a memory from the past will remain so vivid in our minds. My first day at Junior High School at Philippine Women's College is one of the best examples I could offer from such an event. It was a day of mixed emotions that will remain fresh in my memory forever.

My first day at Junior High was a bright, sunny day. The sky adorned a soft shade of blue, and a slight breeze brushed passed my cheeks. I felt like a little fish walking into a big pond though. I felt averse to the idea of being around new people and entering a new phase of education. I nervously approached the gate with my grandmother by my side but I knew she wouldn't be with me all day. I had never before encountered such anxiety in my life. Gently, my grandmother whispered kind and encouraging words to me, and then waved goodbye to me before going away.

As the gate came to a close, I was hit with apprehension. All around me were so many individuals, some young, some older, some big and some small They seem to be everywhere. Most of them passed me like racing cars, running around, zooming, narrowly missing me by tiny fractions. I felt so alone like an abandoned dog lost in the middle of a big city. I just wanted to go home.

I took a deep breath and strolled my way through the crowd trying to keep myself safe from being pushed over by other people. When I walked around the pavilion, my eyes scanned to see if I could locate anyone I recognized but it seemed unlikely. With their maroon ties and white dresses for the ladies, and the white polos and black pants for the men, everybody looked identical. I felt like I had a greater chance to find a needle in a haystack!

I heard someone call my name after feeling like I had been lost for hours. It was a familiar voice. I turned around and saw my old school friend, Neomi. Relief over me cleaned. My pounding heart receded to its normal rate and eased the tension that had built up within me. Neomi stood among a large bunch of familiar faces. Suddenly, I started to feel better as the group's expressions announced the same sentiments as what I felt. Words couldn't explain the sense of relief and emotions lifting up that appeared inside me. My sense of solitude had been replaced by a sense of belonging.

The rollercoaster experience of my first day of Junior High School proceeded to mirror the next four years of high school , where I experienced a combination of good and bad times. As the years passed, Junior High School also became daunting and somewhat frustrating, not only with regard to studying and assignments but also with regard to my peers, where the dynamics of friendship developed and changed as we all grew up and matured.

Starting Junior High was mostly challenging as it had to find a way to adapt to the diversity that was around me. Little did I know that the diversity of my school would help me develop an understanding of the experiences of teenagers and people in general. As each year of Junior High School passed in PWC, I became more open-minded as I experienced different situations every day with a variety of people.

The work began to piling up in Grade 9 and the distractions were rising. For a while I suffered because I wanted to go out to parties with my new group of friends, instead of doing my work. Involving themselves in extracurricular activities also raised the difficulty. All of this changed after I got a disappointing score, though. I began to focus on the possibilities of having a good senior high school if I maintained that level of performance. I realized that I needed to start committing more to the schoolwork and concentrate on the tasks at hand. If I academically succeed and secure a spot at a reputable college I needed to learn how to effectively balance having fun and learning. First of all I started putting my schoolwork before anything else like my endless barkada laags.

I used everything I had learnt and built on throughout my JHS experience in my final year of Junior High School. I evolved into a critical thinker and my views on things drastically changed. My level of maturity grew, and I developed into a well-rounded individual with great skills in time management. Junior High School certainly helped me grow and widen my outlook on different aspects of life. I saw everything I'd done differently in my life before and approached them with a new perspective.

Junior High School,  moreso in Senior High School, is a tough challenge for each of us. But even though it may sound like a' tough challenge' at the time, both Junior and Senior High Schools are preparing you for an even bigger challenge, going to college. Reminiscing about the first day of Junior High School always brings a smile to my face and it reminds me of all the lessons I've learned about myself and others over the years of high school.