Immediately after Elementary school, I transferred to a strict charter school and remained there for four and a half years. Though the charter school was known for its academic achievements and its high test rankings, the academic success wasn’t enough for me. I craved a more wholesome learning experience. I realized halfway through sophomore year that the academics were only half the battle. I lacked the ability to communicate efficiently with others. The move from a tight-knit school of 650 students to a public school with 2,000 students was terrifying. My grades through junior year dropped as I got a sense of how the real world is; teachers don’t repeat the assignment, grading errors don’t fix themselves, and I had to learn how to fight
