Reflecting on the Past: The School Year in Review

At the end of every school year we all have a tendency of reliving the entire year by picking out things in our lives that could’ve been better, regretting the risks we didn’t take, wishing for different friends, remembering the crushes who never knew how we felt, and wishing all of our flaws would magically disappear.

The “I Wish” Syndrome

This painstaking process has taken place ever since the prehistoric period of recess and continues to last deep into our college years. Everyone has had a moment of “I wish.”

The classic case of the I wishes: “I wish I was skinnier, I wish I was cooler, I wish I had a boyfriend, I wish I was a completely different person,” you get the drift. The  “I wishes” have hit you and your friends at some point. Now the hard part is actually following through with the internal promises and unfinished plans that were made to your thirteen-year-old self.

Well, I can personally assure anyone who has ever been in this state of mind that it is possible to change. Anyone can transform no matter how impossible and unlikely it may seem. I myself have unknowingly gone through a total transformation during these past years.

From Awkward Teen to Confident College Girl

As a fourteen year old I was quite a show: braces, frizz, acne, the whole package. Let’s just say the early years of my young adolescent life were not nearly as glamorous as the movies portray. It wasn’t that my looks or anything else changed who I was or how I treated people. In fact, I was always known as that friendly girl (maybe a little overly friendly) who could talk to anyone at anytime, for the most part. I was never afraid of any challenge whether it was for school or for sports. I always made the best of any situation I was in. This attitude helped me make friends and enjoy the life I had without ever thinking I was in any sort of compromising position. This outlook on life also prevented me from realizing just how much kids treat other kids based on how they look or whether or not they were “cool”. This fourteen year old just did her thing and never thought twice about it.

The Journey to Self-Discovery and Growth

Lets fast-forward six years: braces removed, frizz fixed, acne dissolved (for the most part). Lets just say I am not that dorky annoying girl anymore. Playing for a prestigious university is something I could’ve never predicted as my future. I am surrounded by incredible people and happen to be quite the social butterfly (it still amazes me). People seem to love me for ME, a refreshing change of pace since the old days. I have taken up a love for going out and I do things now that I would’ve never ever expected to be doing (i.e. partying, boys, college in the north, planning parties, etc.). I have managed to land two summer internships, get into a fantastic study abroad program, and become a writer for ECG.

Change is Possible: Your Path to Transformation

Change is possible. It takes time along with other crucial mental strides including owning your own faults/mistakes, acknowledging when you’ve been wronged, and having a constant optimistic view of the future. What happens in your life is completely up to you. You can dwell on the past and let it hold you back or you can use all of the bad moments as tools to secure your own incredible transformation and future.

Share Your Story: Personal Growth and New Experiences

Have you changed from your younger days? What fun things do you do now that you would’ve never imagined doing?

5 Comments

  1. avatar Nepali says:

    I wish I had invested my time in studies. I wish I was a good communicator. I wish…

    Present would be so different if what was done correctly in the past. Now is not the time to regret. Need to think for the future.

  2. avatar Mattie says:

    I completely agree with you! You have the power to change yourself. I have learned in my life that if you are positive and have a positive outlook on like people are more likely to want to hang out with you. My fiend always says if you surround yourself with happy people then you will be happy yourself.

  3. avatar vanshika says:

    how did u fix frizz

    • avatar Dylan Schlesinger says:

      Started wearing my hair differently (no more clips, etc.). Also, I recommend the Brazilian keratin treatment because it isn’t permanent and is solely to reduce frizz.

  4. avatar Yumi says:

    Love the article. It expresses everything that I’ve experienced in my past. You got my life down to this article. Except the double internship part and studying abroad. Can’t wait for your next article!

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