Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

TINA YU

            High school! Those terrifying words. Rock-hard reality came rushing at me: I’m entering high school! When I entered grade 8, I was pretty happy, and looked forward to my last year in elementary, completely oblivious to what horrors lay beyond my grade 8 year. However, when I was still daydreaming about the past summer, I found everyone around me debating over which high schools are the best, and busy visiting high school open houses. I could no longer avoid reality, so I began stressing about it.

            The high schools on TV are always filled with snobby cheerleaders, lunch-money-demanding bullies, gun-wielding gangsters, and exclusive cliques. I’ve often heard the tales my high school friends would tell. Stress over marks and exams, people dropping out of school, and friends drifting away. Let’s just say that I absolutely dreaded the prospect of high school. I assumed that high school would be terrible, yet North Toronto seems to have me proved wrong.

            I arrived two hours early on the first day due to insufficient information, but I was so glad when I saw a familiar face who was early too. No one bullied me out of my lunch money, there was no gun-wielding psycho murderer, and it turned out that North Toronto didn’t have cheerleaders. As for assignments and tests, well, I’m not stressing that much… yet.

            The Grade 9 Welcome Day really impressed me. The Buddies and Spirit Club were so enthusiastic. The school song was sung around ten times and each time with more fervor. There is so much spirit! The students here obviously love their school. I’m starting to see that maybe high school isn’t the monster that Hollywood makes out to be.

            As for my life at N.T., I’m really enjoying it so far, but I’m sure all that unnecessary stress took years off my life. My point is, don’t sweat the small stuff!