Journal Writing Project What I’ve learned so far

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Mon, Feb 13th, 2012
Posted in All Journal Student Writing Project

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By Kiah Halvorson

If I were to give a commencement address on the things that I have learned over the past seventeen years, it would have a lot of quotes that I have heard that have all had significant meaning in my life in some way or another.

“Don’t procrastinate!” Finish your work on time- please! For example, don’t let your Rube Goldberg project for physical science that you had the entire month of December to complete sit on the back burner while you enjoy Christmas vacation stuffing your face and playing with your new PS3. Get work done right away so that your father doesn’t need to take four days off of work in order to finish it, even if you got 100 percent for a final grade! This quote doesn’t only pertain to projects, though. It also relates to study or daily work on assignments. Like my Spanish teacher, Senora B., always says, “Just because I don’t assign paper homework doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to do your oral assignments!” By saying this, she is reminding us that we still need to study our vocabulary and notes even if she didn’t hand out a worksheet for us to finish.

This brings us to my next point. “Study!” Don’t try to cram your entire ten pages of notes into your brain in the fifteen minute period that the teacher gives you to “refresh your memory.” Yes, it will probably get you a good grade, but will you retain those answers for longer than the duration of the test?

“Pay attention.” In class, make sure you pay attention! Don’t sleep (guilty), take notes, and get involved in the class discussion.

“Be part of everything.” Go to sporting events even if the team isn’t state championship material. Have fun at those games. Cheer loud at those games. Try your best to be positive!

“Make yourself known- in a good way.” Make sure that you have fun in your high school career. Have fun outside of school. Be the one who went toilet papering during homecoming, or yeah, I went to that party- sober. Don’t be the person everyone knows about because you’ve “gotten around” or the one that can never remember what happened last Friday night.

There are also many lessons that I have learned about life in general that don’t involve school. Such lessons include:

•Don’t take what you have for granted. Someday it will all be gone, and you might think back to what you had and realized that it was an important part of your life.

•Live each day like it’s your last! If you want to go skydiving, do it. If you want to climb Mount Everest, do it! You never know what you like until you try it, but if you don’t try then you’ll never know how great it could have been.

Talking about what I’ve learned so far reminds me that my life is only beginning and the next chapter in my life is about to begin after graduation in June. Thinking about the future puts things in perspective that life doesn’t slow down or stop for changes in your personal life. Take the bull by the horns and live life how you want to! Follow your heart. Find a career that makes you happy. Remember: you only get one chance at life, make it the only chance you need.

Kiah Halvorson is a student at Lanesboro High School. She is one of 8 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its thirteenth year.

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