The following piece was written by Abby Davenport, a member of the 2017 Level 3 cohort.
Well, we made it. For some of us, we have just survived our first year of high school. Others, our first year of NCEA. And those like myself, it’s the end of a bittersweet chapter in our lives. One that has helped to shape and define us as individuals, mould and (attempt to) prepare us for adulthood, and maybe even somewhere along the line, educate us on content somewhat useful for tertiary education (if we so choose).
It’s pretty remarkable to think that we have packed so many experiences into such a short amount of time. A roller coaster journey that has seen many ups and downs, dos and don’ts, firsts and lasts. While I thought I couldn’t wait to finally see the day that I wave goodbye to this place, I also didn’t think that it could creep up on me so quickly. I remember in year 9 anticipating the years to come and thinking about what I want to do with my life and where I see myself ending up. What university to go to. Should I even go to university? I also remember having such thoughts only yesterday. However if there’s one thing that I’ve truly learnt from high school, it’s that the journey is far more important than the destination (thanks PJ!). Despite having dedicated thousands of hours to classes, plus all that extra for internals that span over weeks or in some cases, months (yes history folder, I’m talking about you), I have also come to learn that the most important lessons are taught to you by not just your teachers, but also those around you – friends or not.
Over the course of high school and the time we’ve spent growing up, some feel that the world has shrunken down. That it wasn’t long ago that we were ending our toddler stage and progressing to our first day of primary school in which every day since, we have only been growing to fit a set mould of our future. However this is certainly not true. The world is only just beginning to expand for us. Just because you were, or maybe weren’t, accepted into that Biomedical Engineering, architecture, or school of music course, or you are yet to even apply for anything, this does not mean it’s the be all, end all. That your fate is sealed. Despite popular belief, high school doesn’t just set you up for one path of life or one course of study. Whether you realise it or not, it equips you with the means necessary to veer from one path to the other and provide you with a wide selection of choices and destinations once you leave at the end of year 13. You just have to look up from that textbook and realise that the most important learning on offer is from the interactions and memories made with those around you.
To those of you reading this who are still on your high school journey, if I can offer a piece of advice, it would be not to let others dictate your subject choice and your path of life. Because at the end of the day, it’s your life and you must do what makes you happy. Pick the subjects you are passionate about. Not the ones you are told look best on your record of achievement or that you have no interest in whatsoever because honestly, although I have enjoyed all my subjects, there are still some random concepts I will never find myself having to use (like the life story of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chiaroscuro Lighting, or the microscopic insides of a plant cell). There are no ‘smart’ or ‘easy’ subjects at high school. The classes are what you make them. Additionally, don’t take things at face-value and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Voice your concerns because when it comes down to it, the most important voice at high school is that of the students.
And so, with my little spiel over, I just want to say a big thank you to FAHS and all the people – friends, teachers and everyone else that has made the past five years so memorable. It’s been a great run, Class of 2017, and I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of people to see the year out. Therefore, in closing this significant chapter in our lives, we open a new and unknown one. One that is undoubtedly full with new characters, settings, conflicts and climaxes. Nonetheless, lets ride it out with pride, and make the most of what the journey has to offer us.
To leave you with a favourite quote of mine from the film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (used, of course, for Level 1 reading logs), “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again”.