One thing in high school different.

I have always viewed school as something I just have to get through. Something unavoidable that i need to do, even though I never want to. My classes have always come fairly easily for me, and so I could, for the most part, float through my days. It is only recently that I have realized that in doing so, I have been missing out on something. Maybe it is because my classes are more challenging and interesting now, or because I have more control over the classes I take, but it has become clear that school should be more than just filing information in my head so i can spit it back out on paper. Recently, the process of learning has become something I relish and look forward to, rather than simply a perfunctory task. If I could do one thing in high school differently, it would be to have learned this sooner. I wish that my days could have been meaningful or at least productive, but I think that for the majority of my first two years in High School were more like I was running on auto-pilot, just waiting for the day to end. Because I did not have to work too hard to get good grades, I often cut corners or turned in work that I knew was below my capabilities. I regret this now, because in the end, it didn't add to my happiness or give me the satisfaction of knowing i did my best. It is frustrating to think of all the hours i have spent in school without really learning.
At the same time, I am thankful that I have realized this, with my complete senior year, and all of college still ahead of me. The thought of returning to school in the fall does not fill me with the same dread as it used to, and while I'm certainly not pining to be doing homework or missing the hallways over the summer or on weekends, my time in school is definitely not the painful experience it used to be, and at times, I even like it!