Semester 2 - New Beginnings

New beginnings are always intimidating. Changing schools, starting a new job, or even just entering a new semester. A change to the status quo leaves us jittery with uncertainty. 

When speaking to friends at Greenwood, we all agreed that this year is going by remarkably quickly and semester two hit us like a freight train. Suddenly in a blink of an eye, we were done half of our year. Amidst all the chaos surrounding our return from winter break (being online for two weeks, coming back to write exams, the changes to exam structure, etc.), we all forgot to realise that we’re growing up. 

Growing up is scary. For me, realizing that I’ll soon be an adult adds stress to my life. I worry about losing the freedoms that come with being a kid. Semester two provided a humbling realization: time moves forward no matter if I’m ready for it or not. 

What do I do about this? I’ve set the stage for a pretty grim outcome. To find a positive spin on this, I turned to people, specifically the elderly, who would know a lot more about time than me. LifeHunter’s YouTube page in 2016 put out a video called “Life Lessons From 100-Year-Olds” (it's quite heartwarming, so I recommend that you take a moment to watch it). In the video, people aged 100 and over give their advice on how to live a long and happy life. 

The first person in the video is Clifford Crozier, who was born in 1915 in Wirral, UK. While reminiscing on his life, he stated, “I think I’ve done all that I’ve wanted to do. As long as I can be helpful and keep going. That’s the main thing.” One woman, Emilia Tereza Harper, born in London, UK in 1913, said something similar: “I don’t think there’s anything I need to do because I’ve done practically everything that I have ever wanted to do… I’ve got beautiful memories, you know, I can live happily forever because of my lovely memories.”

All the people featured in this video gave similar advice: help others, find what you enjoy and make great memories. I think, even though I’m at the beginning of my life, this feels very obtainable.  

As students enter a new semester, and quickly realize how fast time moves, it becomes a grand opportunity to make exciting memories. Find a new passion, read that book, play that instrument, learn new things, and (here it comes) “venture further”. High school is a weird time in a person’s life where just enough responsibility is given to work hard and learn but also enough freedom to experience. Before turning 100, it’s important to have some of those “lovely memories” to look back on. 

Semester two, like any time stamp, is scary but it’s a necessary reminder to enjoy childhood before it’s over.