Junior year of high school is, obviously, never easy. I’m thankful I only had to go through it once, but truly, I was nervous that wouldn’t have been the case. Mr. Hague: the best teacher I ever had, hands down. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same way about the class he taught. Actually, it was the complete opposite. I knew signing myself up for Honors Chemistry was going to be a challenge, but New Canaan is a small town that always says “challenge yourself.” and after my mom discouraged me from taking the class, I wanted nothing else but to prove her wrong.
Truthfully, I don’t remember how the year began, but I do remember feeling quite confident in the school year to come. I was an upperclassman with two years behind me and only two more to go. I was going to prove that I could do anything I set my mind to, and do it well. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.
In any other class, I’m self-assured and self-reliant. This was really the first time that I required major help from anyone other than myself.
After the first few months had passed, it was quite evident that I was going to need some extra help. My family has a bad habit of having the excessive need to succeed on our own. I’ve always had difficulty asking for help, so I first attempted to take extra time to study. Of course, my schedule kept filling up with work, theater, and everything else that slowly eats away at a teen’s hours in a day. Eventually, I was forced to get out of my comfort zone, and every time I asked my friends for help, they were willing to sit down with me for as long as needed, or answer any and every question I asked to the best of their ability.
By now, it’s no secret that Chemistry did not turn out to be the I-told-you-so I thought it would be. That doesn’t disregard the fact that I passed! Now, did I pass with flying colors? Not even in my dreams, but I am happy to say, at least I learned something.
