For people like me, going to school can be stressful, not just with grades and tests but socially, too. When I get to school I always worry about how I act, dress, and how I perform in school. I always try to be perfect, and when things don't turn out that way I feel like a failure. My school years have been stressful, with studying for hours on tests and trying to get straight As. When I think of all my goals, it just makes me feel like I have to be perfect and have to have the connotation of a perfect student. Thinking of college and the years ahead, it just makes me worry if I mess up or do something wrong. I have very studious friends and I sometimes feel like I have to be just as good as them in my classes and compare myself and my grades to them. But this year during the COVID-19 pandemic has been different, and has helped me realize that the most important thing in my life is not grades and sports.

Even though I still have good grades, being home instead of at school has made me realize that I should not get so worried about school and trying to be perfect. I have realized that the most important thing in my life is being happy and living my life the way I want to. I do not need to get into the hardest colleges to be happy and I don't need to be the best at sports. What truly makes you happy is accepting yourself and trying your best, even when you are not good at something. We only have one life and we should have fun and enjoy it. My family has never been closer and I became a happier person when I realized that it doesn't matter how smart you are or how athletic you are, what matters is the connections you make in your life and trying to live the life that makes you happy.

—Anna

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