Back to School Jitters!

It is that time. TV commercials are starting to advertise Back to School sales, and stores are having Back to School events. Every time I hear one of those commercials I cringe and I have to hold back a cry. The dreaded time of year is here again. I still have summer assignments to complete (whose idea was it to bring school into summer? Just saying...) and I am frankly just not ready. I swear, we just ended the 2014-15 school year just a few days ago, that's what it feels like.

The idea of going back to school differs for everyone. At first glance, it can be sad and stressful. There are many reasons why, but here are five that you might agree with:

1.) Waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning. And also, going to sleep before you are even remotely tired.
2.) Homework. We all know that this clearly isn't fun, but the worst is when it seems like teachers have a secret meeting just to destroy your life. They decide to give you their biggest assignments at the same time as every other teacher. Thanks guys. We just lost sleep for the next week.
3.) Tests. If you are a good tester, maybe this isn't a big deal. Well, for me, it is a huge deal! I have the hardest time with tests. I know people who can not even touch their notes and get a 100% on the midterm exam, and then you have me, who studies really hard as soon as I hear of the test and ends up with maybe a 75%. Not looking forward to that.
4.) Eating lunch on schedule. I eat when I please, thank you very much.
5.) Drama. Not that I am included in any of it, because I try to stay away from all of that, but there is no avoiding the gossip and the rumors and the fights. I hear about them everywhere and it just makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

While I feel that is a very reasonable list, and I think multiple people would agree, I am, actually, also really excited for school this year. Every year it is the same mix of dread and excitement, and sometimes you just don't know which one is going to take over your mind. On some days, the thought of going back to school makes me nervous, and some days it makes me excited. Here are some things I am excited about:

1.) Seeing my friends. I know that everyone makes promises to see all their friends over the summer, but realistically, you probably don't see all of them. In my case, I saw about two of them the entire summer.
2.) Classes. I am taking some really interesting new classes this year. I am particularly excited for Creative Writing. I have wanted to take this class for the past three years, but my schedule wouldn't allow any more room. Now I can!
3.) Being Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper! This is a job I have wanted ever since joining the newspaper, and seeing the previous Editor-in-Chiefs grow as people and as leaders really inspired me to do the same. While I am extremely excited for this, I am also very nervous.
4.) Our high school musical! We haven't been told what we will be performing this year, but I have participated in the last two musicals, and both years I felt that we created a new family. I love the people that I work with in the musicals. The cast, the stage managers and tech crew, the orchestra, and the directors. I still miss performing Seussical and Les Miserables so much! The songs are still on a continuous loop in my head.
5.) Finally, I am going to be a senior this year. I don't really know what that entails, because I have always heard that it is the most fun anyone has ever had in school. But so far, with the many summer assignments, I feel like it is going to be my toughest year. Maybe that is because I am taking AP, or maybe it will let up as the year goes on. I'm not sure, but I do know that being a senior will be tons of fun! I am so excited for all of the events that take place, I really think this is going to be my year.

It is always scary entering a new school year, unsure of the obstacles you will be facing, or what teacher you are going to have. But if you remember that you have an entire student body going through the same exact thing that you are, maybe it won't be so bad. I have to embrace my last year of high school, because as much as I hate it sometimes, I also can't help but love it.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Happy Back to School shopping!

xoxo Jordan