It's the Final Countdown!

Summer break: a time of peace, excitement, and school-free joy. The moment summer break hits, all the worries, tension, and stress just dissipate into thin air. Pretty soon, you just get used to the the number of ice creams you ate being the worst of your worries! But everything crashes when you see the first “back to school” advertisement of the summer. The end is near... 

Welcome back! Summer’s ending, which can mean only one thing: school. The tension and worry that comes over when you find out when the first day of school is devastating. It makes you question everything you did over the past few months (sleep, sleep, and more sleep). Last Thursday was my first day of school. I thought giving a little insight into my brain would be fun starting at the beginning of the week: Monday. 

Oh boy. 

STRAP IN. 

... 

MONDAY 

Today is the 29th of July. THE 29th! Where has the time gone? It still feels like it’s still June, and here I am, stuffing my backpack with random “necessities” already. School starts on August 1st, which is in two days. To be honest, I’m a little at war with myself. At first, I felt excited and thrilled to get back into the swing of things. But now, I’m rethinking everything! I don’t know if I’m ready to start the “work-sleep-repeat" process again... 

These feelings all started ever since the summer gatherings began. Each one felt like a wake-up call for the coming freshmen and the returning upper-class students. Even if it was a little... quiet at first, it was amazing to meet the new 9th graders as well as reunite with my friends. It’s incredible how much things have changed. Everyone grew at least an inch taller (except me), and we were all more comfortable with each other. The freshmen reminded me of myself, which was weirdly nostalgic. But, thinking back to how light and elated I felt talking to these people, I can almost forget the worries and anxieties of going back to school. Wait. Nope, they’re still there. Oh well, I guess I still have two more days of worry-free happiness... 

TUESDAY 

I have one more day left in summer! Oh, why does it have to-  

 You know what? No. I’m over this. School is needed, and everything that happens there is for your good. Plus, it’s not like I won’t have free time ever again. Fall break is only weeks away! If you think about it like, there is no need to freak out.  

I guess I’m trying to reason with myself because I finally let everything sink in for the first time today. School starts on Thursday. This Thursday; August first. Today, I had a chance to meet my teachers. It was sort of like a meet-and-greet, except there were no parents there. I had that feeling of elated happiness again when I saw my friends. I don’t know why, but I just seem to forget everything about everything when I see them! I guess that’s a good thing; otherwise, I would’ve most likely lost my mind to the anxiety.  

My teachers seemed nice, but not like the creepy “I’m looking forward to teaching you for a whole semester” kind. They were calm and just... relaxed. It was almost like they sympathized with me by assuring me that everything would be great and fun if I did what I was supposed to. That was the goal, I guess. But if that’s all it takes to have a worry-free year, I’m all in. 

WEDNESDAY 

Okay. This is It. We are doing this. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I am totally prepared. Notebooks; check. Folders; check. Exaggerated optimism instead of overwhelming anxiety; check. This year is going to be great! I have great classes, friends, pastimes, and a great attitude (that might need some work). But most of all, I am... excited. 

This whole week, I’ve been freaking out about never having free time anymore, getting overwhelmed with schoolwork, and basically everything. But, if you think about it, this is just another trick that my brain’s playing on me. Feelings like anxiety and worry are straightforward emotions to get lost in, and, plus, it takes no effort to succumb to them. That’s why whenever we have a big day or event coming up, we feel overwhelming anxiety and worry to distract us from what we really have to do: wake up!  

We need to wake up from the nightmares and fix whatever’s causing the anxiety. If we don’t dare to do that mentally, what chance do we have to fix the other problems in the world? 

Thinking through things practically instead of emotionally helps get my thoughts together, especially when I feel like I’m losing my mind. Emotion should be the fuel, and reality should be the control, not the other way around. Now, all I need to do is remember that. Not too bad, right? 

Wait, what if- 

THURSDAY 

I DID IT. I MADE IT THROUGH THE DAY. Honestly, I’m surprised I even slept the last night (I’m not a hundred percent sure I got more than an hour in, though). The whole day was surprisingly chill! I wasn’t running around the hallways trying to find my classes, I didn’t need to get my schedule changed, and I didn’t forget anything major (assuming pencils and hair ties don’t count). Throughout the day, I kind of forgot the panic and anxiety that I felt at first. I don’t know if it was just the feeling of having my friends around or if I was genuinely lighthearted. The entire week felt... unnecessary; I was overthinking everything (reading back, I totally was).  

Huh. Who would’ve thought? I spent the entire week complaining about summer ending, and now, I don’t think it really did end. I mean, enjoyment and fun can come anytime, right? Then why do I have to freak out about school starting? 

Hmmm.... 

Maybe this year is going to be good after all. 

... 

School is hard. It’s nerve-wracking and just... difficult to keep up with sometimes. But that isn’t an excuse to get out of it. If I had an imaginary scale, and I kept all the hard, difficult days on one side and the light, joyous days on the other, I think the scale would be neutral; it wouldn’t move. That’s because everything’s balanced.  

We remember all the terrible days because those are what hit the strongest. What about the easy ones, though? Balance is important, and it should apply to everything; exercise, enjoyment, work, and school. The good can’t be good without the bad.  

What Do You Think? 

This was one dynamic week. But I think this is a happy ending. Now, it’s your turn to spill your guts out (in other words, answer these questions)! 

• What was your most memorable first-day-of-school memory? Did you have a freak-out moment too? 

• What’s one thing about school that you wish you could change? What’s something you could add? 

• In your opinion, would you go to school every day of the week (including the weekends) and have a longer summer break, or would you rather have school three days a week and have no holidays at all?