“This Will All Make Sense When I’m Older” : Growing Up Too Fast?
By Brooke F.
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As children, we are always so excited to get to the next new thing. Whether it was the latest installment of our favorite Saturday morning cartoons or having trouble falling asleep on Christmas Eve, it felt like it would be an eternity before the special day arrived. “I can’t wait until I’m in high school!” I remember saying to my parents after a long and tiring day of second grade reading. “I’ll get to stay up later and do so much more!”
Little did my past self know what I would be in for… Now, as I work on the next essay for class and click through the seemingly endless checklist of college application to-do’s, I find myself thinking back to the simpler times of kindergarten. In kindergarten, I didn’t need to worry about memorizing chemical formulas, checking grammar, or solving quadratic equations. My only problems were remembering my sandwich for snack time and not missing the class butterfly hatchings. As I was reminiscing, I began to wonder if I was the only one who felt this way. I decided to reach out to my fellow NorthStar students to get to the bottom of this memory-riddled mystery.
Anticipation can seem like a child’s worst enemy. The promise of something new and out of the ordinary has us eager to move on quickly, oftentimes quite impatiently (psychologists have actually proven this through the marshmallow test -- where children could instantly have a reward or they could wait in order to gain two rewards!). With this information in mind, I wanted to know just what it was NSA students couldn’t wait for. So, I started out by asking them about any goals they had for the second semester of the school year.
“I aim to graduate strong and make the most of this last semester of school!” says Chana, a NorthStar Academy senior. When asked about the future, she explained to us how she looks forward to her college experience. “I'm excited to see what the college community will be like and how my friendships made here at NSA will continue beyond my high school years!”
Ariel is an 8th grader here at NorthStar Academy. She mentioned her goal for the second semester is to practice her study skills. “I know that all the studying I do will pay off someday. I want to work in the medical field as a doctor or surgeon when I am older. Even though studying seems rigorous and harsh, I truly enjoy it! If I start to study the way I want now, I can develop even better study habits.” As she is preparing to take the leap into high school next school year, she’s excited for the new experience. “I know that I will have to study really hard for my future. If you think about it, the years you are in high school can change your life for the better or the worst. I want to make the best of my high school years by studying hard and spending time to explore my specific interests.”
I couldn’t resist asking the students to share a few words of advice. If they had the chance to talk to their past selves, what would they say? Was there something they wished they had done? Is there a certain goal they hope their future selves will have accomplished? While many encouraged no procrastination or shared plans about their future mansions, there were a few students that had some specific messages to share:
“I would want to tell my past and future self that I always have to take a glimpse at my past in order to move toward my future,” says Ariel. “I have to always move forward even when life throws me lemons. Even when I am in the worst of times, I need to move forward knowing that God is there and that the future is filled with opportunities.”
Chana shared a similar message of her own. “To my past self, make the most of highschool! Be diligent in school, make and keep good friendships, and focus on developing yourself into a better person. Plan well for the future, but don't wish you were there because you'll never be able to return to where you are now,” she said. “Future self: Keep in mind the lessons you've learned from the past, and what it's like to be a kid. Continue to grow in Christ and never fool yourself into thinking you don't need to learn anymore!”
If there is one thing I took away from hearing my fellow students’ advice, it was to keep a positive outlook on life and keep on learning. While it might be tempting to speed through life, it’s important to also enjoy the here and now. I can’t help but to think back again to my days in kindergarten, waiting for the late bedtimes and more “grown-up” stories. Do I have those things I waited for? Absolutely. The real question is: am I really ready to rush into the next phase of life? The future will always be there, but it’s the moments in the past that we can’t get back. We just need to remember to cherish and enjoy every minute of it while we still can.
Columns: 🗣️Advice
Brooke F. is going into her third year with NorthStar Academy. She is currently serving as Student Council President for the 20-21 school year. In her free time, Brooke enjoys reading, writing, singing, and listening to the latest Broadway soundtracks. In the future, Brooke hopes to be able to use her skills to give a voice to those in need.