In America, when the eighth graders leave the middle school, they are often worried about moving to the high school. It is a hard time for them, but it can be an exciting one as well. To make it easier, students need to get familiar with their school.

Even though they’ve done this already in the middle school, it’s still important to find where their classrooms are. Most schools take students to the high school for a visit at the end of their eighth grade year. And, most schools also have a freshman (新生) speech for parents and students before the first year begins. Sometimes the main office will give away a map of the school. This can help students and parents to find different places in the school.

One way to know your high school more and make new friends is to join a club or play a sport. Schools often offer chances to join different clubs and sports. Fall activities begin in August before the first day of school. If you are not interested in sports, there are clubs for any interest, such as drama, dance, chess, photography, community service, etc. These clubs allow students from different grades. By joining an activity, students can find new friendships, not to mention improving their chances in future college applications (申请). The school office will have a list of activities offered at the school and information on how to join them.

What’s more, to have a great start to a high school year, students can write down some of their worries, and ask for help from teachers and school workers.

When I was in primary school, I got into an argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson learned that day.

I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong — and he was just as convinced that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other.

In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered.

I couldn’t believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy was standing and told him to come to stand where I had been. We changed places, and then she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.” It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must stand in the other person’s shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective (看法).

“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits (追求), and necessary to maintain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for,” said Robin Williams.

This describes my first-year self, who was buried in the study for high grades, and failed to seek the happiness found in everything else that college has to offer.

Like some people, I grew up with a family that valued academics over all else, who gave you a little extra love when you were doing great in your classes, and took it away when you didn’t. As a result, my self-worth became tied to my academic success. However, there is a difference between trying to always better yourself for yourself, and attempting to live up to certain expectations. We should all struggle to do the former, but unfortunately our minds have followed the latter.

For the past week, I have been going around campus, asking my friends what they wanted to get from college. Most of the answers I got were one word——money. Everyone who puts themselves through college sees it as a means to making a living in the future. While few are truly passionate about what they are studying.

However, we should all try to develop a long-sighted perspective on how we want to shape our lives. Do things with intent (意图), because everything you do now will have a hand in shaping who you turn out to be. Take some classes on topics that you’re really interested in learning about. Join clubs or work on projects and push you beyond your limits. Build a community. Surround yourself with people who challenge and excite you. And most of all, embrace the fact that failure and loss are sometimes necessary in life.

I promise you, when you look back at these four years, you will not remember the good grades or the bad grades, but you will hold in your memory the connections you made with people, the things that inspired you to create.