If there is one thing that I regret in my four years of high school, it is the fact that I really did not find the activity that I was truly passionate about until senior year. Of course high GPA marks and SAT scores are impor­tant, but there is more to life than just aca­demic success. Troy High School is “hard”to say the least, and it takes a lot of willpower to achieve top grades while still maintaining a balanced social life. In most cases, you’re studying or sleeping, not both. There is no time to go out with friends or do something fun.

Regardless of the “fun” that I really had, it pains me to look back and I wish I had experimented with different clubs my fresh­man year. Due to upcoming tests or projects, it is easy to push back activities until the next year, but evidently high school does not get any easier. And because of my naivete, I ended up regretting just going through the motions of everyone else such as volunteer­ing at a hospital or joining orchestra when I really could have created an android app, published a book, or even created a non-profit organization. There are so many possibilities that Asians, especially are not aware of. We look to that one Harvard kid who got the perfect GPA and perfect SAT score with the same profile and try to emulate him or her. Yet, it only worked once. We are so scared of taking a risk by using our time to enter a sewing competition, joining a science fair, or even choosing a sport like fencing to excel in. Honestly, I wish someone told me earlier that it is okay to experiment in freshman year and really join quirky activities. You’re supposed to have fun in high school! You’re encouraged to make mistakes, to explore, and to dream big. In the end, no one wants to be friends with a mundane person. They’d rather be friends with someone who is unique or shines in a particular interest. I consider it a big lesson learned. Now I can’t wait for college.