It’s officially the new school year! Eighth graders are becoming freshmen and juniors are becoming seniors. Some are starting high school, and for others, it’s their last year. Whether or not this is you, this year will be the start of new beginnings and the end of the “cringe” phases. The latest generation of freshmen introduces a new set of phrases and ways to act and dress. One thing they don’t know is this is high school, the start of maturing from a kid to an adult. Many kids will be changing their mindsets by the end of this year for the better or the worse but, whatever it is, it will change you and everyone around you. The biggest piece of advice that is given is “just be yourself” and do what you think is right. Everyone wants this to be the most amazing and fun year, which means they should be making good decisions but still having fun with others. What does it mean to be yourself? 

Well, that’s up to you to decide. You may need some guidance because everyone is different. Some people change themselves to fit in or to stand out. Being yourself means you aren’t afraid to show how you truly act and feel, dress how you want, drink, and eat what you want, and just do what you want. There is no need to be afraid of what anyone says about you– be more concerned about how you feel and not others.

Another thing you should do this year is join a club or even a sport! See what you are interested in and what you do right now may help you decide your future career/college or even hobbies you may just pick up forever. It will make connections and friendships that you can keep and they will be like no other because you both have something you’re passionate about. It may even become more than a hobby, but of course, you’ll never know unless you try. Kids are constantly torn down because they set their mind to something and then they’re told it’s “unrealistic” or “can’t be done,” so they lose hope in what they love.

An example of this would be Michael Jordan a star NBA player who is widely known but, do you know where he started? He had tried out for his high school basketball team in his sophomore year. Due to him being 5’10, he wasn’t picked for varsity but still made junior varsity. This crushed him he thought because of his height he was told he could never play on varsity and this made him almost want to quit the sport. But his mother was the one who convinced him otherwise put faith in him and made him believe in himself. He drove himself to be the best of the best he tried as hard as he could and he always kept going. Now he is the most decorated NBA player out there and it’s only because of his will and drive to do what he wants and loves with someone telling him he can do it.

So when you set your mind to something, you can reach for it. You might not reach it one way, but you can always find a new approach to something and see if it works. “You never know unless you try,” is a quote widely known and usually taught for the right mindsets. The true meaning of this is that your effort and commitment to trying is what should be measured, not the result generated and everyone has their meaning for this. But it could symbolize that even though the result isn’t what you wanted, you still put in all that hard work and effort to get there. You should feel proud of what you achieved. As well, this ties back to being yourself. To try something you are interested in is to stay true to yourself. Some people may push away their interests, using the excuse that they can’t do it, which limits their possibilities to be themselves. Here at Ridge, teachers take pride in their students and their values, but teachers also want you to do what you want, which is why there are so many class choices and clubs for you to choose from, so why not? Do what you want, regardless of what people say.