It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times
By Deloris Pruitte
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. That phrase alone could sum up my high school career. When I first entered high school I already had a bad attitude. I had formed an impression of how people were going to be without even getting to know them. I believe this was mainly because I was going to a brand-new school, I was leaving my old friends, I wouldn’t know anyone and I would be one of only a few POC (persons of color). It took me a long time to adjust because I was so bitter, and even though people reached out to me and were kind, I still did not change my attitude. It took me awhile to change and become comfortable around people, but eventually I made friends.
As time progressed I became distracted and wasn't applying myself as much as I should have. I would complain that the curriculum was too hard or that it was too much work. After I started getting in trouble for my poor performance, I began to hate high school and returned to the old hateful cycle of being bitter. As a result, I wouldn't participate in anything or do any extracurricular activities which really placed me in a disadvantage.
If I could go back and change how I was my first year, I would and get involved in more activities to look better on my transcripts. As the years progressed I started to get my act together, but I had to work twice as hard to improve my GPA. After I got my first job during my senior year, it forced me to learn how to manage my time wisely and learn to study and get as much school work done as I could.
My grades made a drastic turn for the better and although it was hard at times, balancing both work and school, I made it work. Today I can say I graduated with great friends, had a great experience and earned an Advanced diploma!