Tag Archives: life

Slow Down

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When was the last time you stopped doing what you were doing to take a deep breath? Many people can be as busy as a bee, with almost no time to live, as the days seem to fly by quickly. Whether you are a teen tackling the challenges of high school and the future ahead of you, a young adult trying to figure out life as you enter adulthood, or an adult tired of the same constant cycle of sleep, eat, and repeat, many people can agree that life can be so busy sometimes that we forget to stop and slow down. It is often said, “Stop and Smell the Roses,” meaning slow down, enjoy life, and savor the world around you, but I feel like people forget to do this all the time nowadays. People are too focused on getting that promotion, getting those grades, doing well in life, and dreading the future, that they don’t focus on the now. As a high school student nearing the end of my high school life, I also find myself focusing solely on the future too much. The school work has gotten busier tenfold, and I haven’t been able to balance between my school life, my friends, my hobbies, and taking care of myself, so it’s gotten really stressful. I’ve been so focused on good grades, new friends, finding a job, and becoming the best version of myself, and trying to do this and that, that I forget how to slow down sometimes. The song “Slow Down” by Laufey embodies this message, and I recommend listening to it if you ever feel like life is too stressful as a reminder to stop and slow down. The song highlights the narrator’s young adult life and how she’s grown now and is living life independently, and everything happened in the blink of an eye. I found that stopping to breathe in the middle of studying, doing homework, or doing chores, even for a short moment, can help ease the stress. Yes, getting those grades is important. Yes, getting that promotion is important. Yes, doing well in life is important, but your health is also important. It’s okay to put everything aside for a little bit and take a nap, do something you like, hang out with your loved ones, or even do nothing. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so take a moment to stop and take a deep breath.

How To Pass Your Permit Test

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Turning 16 years old can be a checkpoint or a milestone in some people’s lives. After all, many changes come along with turning 16. For example, permit life. It’s a time when many teens are working hard to get their license by driving with instructors, parents, etc. If you’re 16-17 years old, it is guaranteed that you have heard people in your grade begin talking about getting their permit/license or practicing for their license. However, before getting a license, it is required to get a permit first by passing a permit test. Some people may be confident in taking the permit test, and some people may not. When I took my permit test, I was extremely anxious and worried that I had waited all that time in line for nothing, but don’t worry. Here are some tips that I can give as a teen who passed the permit test on the first try with 45/47 correct. 

Study the Handbook

This is the most important thing you need to pass your permit test. This is your study guide—your golden ticket. If you just study the handbook, it’s almost certain that you’re going to pass. This is because the handbook is basically what you’re being tested on for the permit test. The handbook covers the basic rules of driving and the things you need to know before driving really well. If you study the handbook well, you don’t need to do anything else, and you can do well. You can find the handbook on the DMV website and download it as a PDF. You can also find audio readings online that you can listen to as you are reading.

Practice Quizzes/Tests

Take as many practice quizzes as you can. When I was studying for my permit test, I did lots of practice quizzes and practice permit tests, and these helped a lot. Before I started studying, I took a practice test to see where I was at and took note of what I got right and wrong. Then each time I studied, I did practice tests and quizzes along with it. There are many of these online. Just search up “DMV Practice Test/Quiz,” and just take as many tests as necessary. You can even download apps from the App Store. For me, I used this app called “DMV Practice Test” with a green logo and a car. The app also had the handbook, which I thought was useful. Then it had a section of practice quizzes and a section of practice tests. These were so helpful, and they helped me pass the permit test. 

Although these tips are useful, it is also crucial to get good sleep and eat well before the permit test, especially if you are really waiting in line. It is hard to focus when you are tired, and it makes it way easier for your brain to work during the test. But remember, even if you fail the permit test, you can always try again, and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. Trust me, don’t stress too much; you’ll be fine. Good luck!

Taking A Step Back

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The soft scrape of a page being turned in my newest book is what brings me happiness.

Too often are we, as humans in the 21st century, focused on attaining a goal or possession that we have glorified in our minds. Admittedly, I used to (and probably still am, to some degree) like this, but I realized during my junior year of high school that this was an insatiable pursuit.

During my junior year of high school, I was obsessed with keeping my grades up. I would stay up until 3 am studying for a math test that I had the next day or spend hours perfecting a paper for a class in which I already had a 97%. I would spend 20 minutes on a drawing and rush to finish it if I couldn’t get it done because I would start to grow tired of it. I would start a new video game in an attempt to get a “perfect playthrough” and then drop it as soon as I did. In doing these things, I realized that I wasn’t pursuing a genuine feeling of enjoyment out of them- rather, I was chasing the immediate gratification I would feel from their completion.

As I reached the end of my junior year, I realized that I was happy, in part from these things, but for the most part, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what made life so great. Was it that I had gotten an A in my math class? That I had gotten that internship or won that award? Something told me no. It was the day-to-day victories that should have been insignificant, most of which I had already forgotten which made life so great. It was the inside jokes my friends and I would cry from laughing at during lunch. It was the random FaceTime I would get from a friend I hadn’t seen in forever or an old photo that would hit me with a wave of nostalgia.

It was going to the bookstore with my Omi to check out a new book, hearing stories from her during the whole car ride there. As we entered the store I soaked in the soothing scent of books and felt perfectly content. I weaved through the aisles trying to find the book I wanted, and clutching it like a prize, would bring it up to the checkout counter. I opened it as soon as I got home, eager to see what adventures I had missed out on during the time between this installment and the last. And so I turn the next page and breathe a sigh of contentment knowing that this is what brings me happiness.

Next Year Jitters

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Whether you’re going into high school, Junior year, or Senior year, then obviously it’s going to be scary. As a sophomore who is going into Junior year, there are so many nerves that are just happening all at once. Especially now that you have to try harder in your academics for potential colleges and careers. One thing I’m glad I know though is that I’m not going through this whole feeling alone, so it gives me that sense of comfort. I asked a lot of my friends these questions about what they’re going to be doing for their classes next year and every response I get makes it seem like they have it all figured out, which I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous of.

It’s not that I know what I’m walking into next year in terms of academic courses, but it also runs down to the fact of how I’m going to handle it. One thing I tend to notice about myself is that I don’t know how to handle pressure, which is a skill I desperately need to work on, but at the same time, how does that benefit me for next year? Because I know that this year (or whatever grade you’re in now) determines a good portion of your life. I know everyone has their way of coping with certain situations, but there would also be a lot of doubt when I feel the walls closing in. Maybe it’s because of fight or flight reaction..?

I know a lot of schools right now are getting out for the summer right now, but thinking about next year kind of makes you think in a new light. How everything in your school career has gone into this very moment of now. Moving into the next grade and all that good stuff, embracing new and old peers, learning new subjects, it all seems a bit surreal. I could probably just be ranting here but the whole moving up to another level of school is very dawning, it just occurred to me that I’m entering junior year next year and mentally, I am not ready in the slightest.

But, I also think about the new things I will be enduring too, because high school is an experience that you can experiment with both the good and the bad at the same time, so it gives that good reflection too! I would say I’ve enjoyed these past two years so far, and it’s also nice to know that I’m in the same boat with a lot of people too. It’s sad but true, school does get harder as you go, but the only way we can actually persevere through the trials and tribulations is just to dive in head first and put in the work to make it all worth it.