Finding Your Passion as a Junior in High School

High school is a place for young people to grow and discover themselves, challenge their obstacles, and discover their passion. That's a whole bunch of poo. High school is a frustrating stage in your life and it is filled with awkward, embarrassing moments and judgmental classmates. It requires you to wake up at 6:00 am and go to six to eight classes each day; and do homework that can sometimes feel really unnecessary: busy work! Aaaaaahhhhh! And lest we forget...........growing out of our childhood to be an adult in this world. But let's not be all pessimistic.

Despite the fact that high school is a bunch of poo, I'd say my favorite part about it is beginning to understand your interests and possibly your passions. Discovering your identity. Not having a passion that defines you, I don't know how I would do it!

I thought I would talk about how high school sometimes sucks at the beginning of the post to get rid of any negativity head on; because we don't need it. Now take out your positivity (why isn't that a word?) hat! If you don't have one, its time to go shopping (just in time for the holidays)!

The only thing I had going for me at the start of high school was my grades and cross-country. At the time I told myself I wanted to be a doctor because the job would help people and I liked science. And I enjoyed biology class. But into my sophomore year I began to become amazed with literature and the various ways it can be interpreted. Being able to think what you think. How refreshing!

I've grown to learn I'm interested in acting and environmental science because I love the idea of being gaining different perspectives and understanding empathy. I also have always been an advocate for the environment's well being.

Now if you are a junior and you still have no idea what on Earth you want to do, don't fret! I have some tips to help you find your calling! Use them at your disposal.

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Buy some fun supplies to match your interest in learning.
 Don't worry about being weird! My notebook has gummy bears on it!

First, pay attention to what you are learning in school. The purpose of this advice is not to motivate you to get good grades. We've all heard that speech before.

If you want to find your calling, school is the best place to start. School is like a job fair. It allows for you to explore various fields of study. Even if you have trouble keeping up with homework and studying (like I do), listen and use what the teacher gives you. You might've been telling yourself you hate school because of the homework assignments, but ask yourself how you feel about learning. That is the real purpose of school. I do my best to keep up with the work and put in a fair effort, but I stay concerned with the main takeaway of each lesson and apply it to the real world.  Also if you are engaged and interested in what you're learning, you might end up enjoying the work you're given. Don't take this job fair for granted!

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My next piece of advice, join a sport. I really don't know why I have this as a tip. But I feel I'm more productive when I join a sport; while doing workouts and even homework. It makes you feel like you've made a lot of progress when you push through exercises. Because you have. 

Lets not forget that by joining a sport, whatever it is, you meet other people. I guess why I'm saying join a team is because you'll be more social and while you're in search of your passion, you have something to look forward to. Of course maybe you'll find out that the sport you're participating in is your passion, but don't decide that too quickly. And even if you're a junior who has never participated in a sport, don't think its too late to join one; because its not! And don't worry about what others think of you when you join. We've all been there and it does nothing for us. So I guess this tip revolves more around confidence than passion-finding. But regardless, participating in a sport makes you feel better about yourself and comfortable in your skin. 

If you are someone who already does a sport, then this advice probably wasn't the most helpful. But I encourage you to continue! And maybe try something new (try not to think about what colleges might think. If you're participating in a sport that you don't enjoy, stop participating in it. Don't forget this is still your life!)

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Hindu Temple I visited with my Family on Thanksgiving💛

Third, do something culturally related to your background. I think its a no-brainer why this could be beneficial. But let's get into it anyway. Having a culture is something no one can take away from you. And it stays with you forever.Try to be involved at home with anything cultural happening. I understand how weird that sentence is. I can't speak for all cultures, but my I try to help my family prepare for rituals performed to certain gods or goddesses of the Hindu religion. 

Culture ties in to so many different college majors. But its not something you can put on an application and for good reason. It is a part of your identity and it's not something you need to sell to schools. 

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Next, what's something you've always felt strongly about? Think about a cause that you've always defended; even when you were a little kid. There's always something we feel is important, whether its helping people, protecting animals and the environment, making sacrifices. Tie this in with what you're learning in school and you might find something tangible that you're interested in. 

It doesn't even have to be a cause. Just something you've enjoyed as a kid. Recollecting your childhood hobbies is actually a great place to start because its the time when you're most like yourself; doing things that you love. When you're in high school you tend to stuff yourself in a box. As a kid I loved creating artwork and putting on little shows with my sister. I'm realizing now that as a little girl, I welded the tool of self-expression rather well.

Now in high school, I'm finally understanding empathy from reading Shakespearean plays and watching movies. This all slowly builds up into one passion. And you don't need to have something super concrete. You can be an astronomer who blogs! Or a musician who loves comics!

If childhood doesn't work for you then think, what would you like to be doing right now. FYI, watching Netflix is not a passion. Dig a little deeper! (Deliberate Princess and the Frog reference).

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And lastly, I advise you to GO PLACES! Explore the world around you. Don't be confined in one area. If you live near downtown, GO THERE! This is more of inspirational advice, but it might surprise you that getting outdoors and not worrying about your school work.............is a good thing! You're going to be applying a good amount of this knowledge in the real world. You might as well  see it now. GET OUT THERE!

A Word of Caution: don't go somewhere for the sole purpose of "finding your passion." This exercise (if you want to call it that) is supposed to motivate you and allow for you to understand what's beyond the books and algorithms. Also understand that your calling won't just hit you one day. It will slowly find its way to you. But while you're "waiting," GET INSPIRED!

Now there's the task of having your passion...and pushing through all the tedious schoolwork. Here comes the cliche: use the schoolwork as a motivator. Observe how the work you're doing in school pertains to your passion. And for the purpose of school, be hungry for knowledge!

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Stay tuned for the holiday posts coming your way!