Assignments: Day 2

2. Think back to the beginning of school last year. How do you think you've changed since then?

At the beginning of school last year, when I was entering 7th grade, I was worried only about school, getting good grades, whether I would like my teachers or not, etc. I was completely focused on that one year of school, as though it was my life, and the rest of my life. I didn't think at all about what would come in the future, what I wanted to do with my life, specialize in. I was auditioning for a new orchestra, so I was worried about getting in or not. I was worried about impressing Deb Holland, because I hadn't practiced much, and still didn't have a very good practice habit. Basically, I was a normal 7th grader.

This year, I've traveled a lot more, having lived away from my family for 3 weeks in Europe. I saw new sights, and realized that the United States of America says we have many problems, like poverty, but we really don't even know what that is, compared to foreign countries. I now give a lot more thought to my future and what I want to do with it, and what will help me in the long run, not just what I want to do right now. I think that I have matured beyond my years, through my traveling experiences in the past, and the ones coming up. I've learned to cope more on my own and not lean on my friends to keep me happy. I set more goals for myself than I used to, and I actually achieve them. That is a very good feeling.

Overall I think that I have changed in many ways, just through maturing and learning from past experiences and having a new outlook on life. The little tiny things that used to seem like they would make or break my life, are nothing now. In fact I scoff at many things I used to worry about. I've learned to look inside people more, and not rely only on first impressions. Now I think into the future, and what will help me achieve the things I want to do in college and for the rest of the life. And I've started to worry more about money, and saving it up for college, a car and other important things that come along in life.