The alarm clock on my bedside table roared as the numbers on the small screen changed from 5:29 to 5:30. Although the sun had yet to rise, I quickly sprung out of bed to silence the clock’s shrill beeping. My eyes felt heavy, but I knew I had to shake off my weariness. Nothing was going to get in the way, not even sleep deprivation, of me being ready for this day. It was August 28th, the first day of my junior year, and I was going to be attending a new school. After I threw on my school uniform, which I had so carefully ironed and hung up the night before, and ran a brush through my unruly head of hair, I rushed downstairs to prepare a proper breakfast to enjoy on my way to school. Once in the kitchen, reality hit as I glanced at
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A mere five minutes later, I was bombarded with a thick stack of homework, something that never would have been assigned to me on the first day at my old school. I stared in disbelief and proceeded to attend class after class, in which each period I was handed more and more work. Each of my teachers discussed the nightly workload and the curriculum as if it was nothing. Yet, in reality, I knew my night would consist of multiple hours of mind boggling math problems and essay writing. By the time the final bell rang at 2:30, my backpack was stuffed with dozens of folders and textbooks. It felt heavy on my shoulders as I slowly walked towards the parking lot. I thought I was going to meet new people throughout the day, yet the overwhelming workload had kept me silent. My head throbbed as if it was about to explode. Formulas and grammar rules overwhelmed my thoughts as I drove home in silence. I didn 't know how I would catch up, as I was already behind and it was only the first day. As I pulled into my driveway, I remembered the nervous smile that had spread across my face earlier this morning. I cringed, as it was painful knowing that this was my new reality, and trudged up to my room to tackle the mound of homework in my backpack. The only thing that kept me going was the possibility that all this hard work would pay off in the years to come, specifically for college admissions. Yet, as I struggled through four hours of work that night, I couldn’t help but question if being in such a rigorous academic program was worth
A mere five minutes later, I was bombarded with a thick stack of homework, something that never would have been assigned to me on the first day at my old school. I stared in disbelief and proceeded to attend class after class, in which each period I was handed more and more work. Each of my teachers discussed the nightly workload and the curriculum as if it was nothing. Yet, in reality, I knew my night would consist of multiple hours of mind boggling math problems and essay writing. By the time the final bell rang at 2:30, my backpack was stuffed with dozens of folders and textbooks. It felt heavy on my shoulders as I slowly walked towards the parking lot. I thought I was going to meet new people throughout the day, yet the overwhelming workload had kept me silent. My head throbbed as if it was about to explode. Formulas and grammar rules overwhelmed my thoughts as I drove home in silence. I didn 't know how I would catch up, as I was already behind and it was only the first day. As I pulled into my driveway, I remembered the nervous smile that had spread across my face earlier this morning. I cringed, as it was painful knowing that this was my new reality, and trudged up to my room to tackle the mound of homework in my backpack. The only thing that kept me going was the possibility that all this hard work would pay off in the years to come, specifically for college admissions. Yet, as I struggled through four hours of work that night, I couldn’t help but question if being in such a rigorous academic program was worth