When I was in the eighth grade, high schools were a pretty big concern for me. I’ve always longed for that day with anticipation and fear and when that day finally came, I was overwhelmed with joy. The months prior to the day when decision letters came out were the most stressful days of my life. However, this whole progression has taught me a valuable lesson that I knew already, but never actually believed and experienced.

The fretting started to begin with the perfection of applications. I knew the only way high schools got to know the applicant more was through the amount and quality of the information provided in the submission. Therefore, after every filled out application, I reviewed it, checked for grammar mistakes, and corrected low-quality sentences to mistake-free and flowing statements. If you thought that was tough, wait until you see what’s next.

Having so many choices to choose from, I applied to seven high schools. You see, each high school had different requirements and various essays to write; therefore there was a lot of work that needed to be done. Just imagine, seven essays, seven applications, and only a few months to get it done! After the first month, frustration began building up and that led to me screaming to get my anger out. I had nowhere to turn, no one to blame because this was my decision. I couldn’t take it anymore, but I knew I had to finish for the sake of my future.

Finally, the decision had arrived. I received seven letters with each school’s stamp posted on the top. My hands trembled as I opened them one by one. I wasn’t surprised, but I wasn’t disappointed either. I got into four of my seven high schools I applied to. Sure, I didn’t get into my first choice, but the acceptance letter of Lowell couldn’t have made me happier.

Through the arguments and stress and everything in between, I’ve learned that in life, there are always hard times that you must eventually face, but keep this quote in mind, no pain…no gain.