Angeline

A sharp ring sound pierces my ear, the bell has rung, indicating the start of the day. I took a deep breath before stepping into the awaiting classroom. I entered the room, and in an instant, the sunlight shone brightly, warmly greeting me at the start of the school day. However, I do know that it will be the brightest thing I will encounter today. Tables and chairs were scattered, resembling the lands on a map, and trash was scattered, such as boats or ships in the sea. The wall is painted with a beautiful sapphire blue colour, but huge patches of it have visibly started to peel off. The entire ocean of a classroom was a mess, as if a tsunami had just rummaged through it, messing up its interior. However, no actual tsunami had visited; we are the tsunami responsible for the mess in the class. I threw my bag onto the table, the one that's closest to the class door. Its legs were uneven, and small patches of rust could be found all around it. Drawings and writing were permanently dr...

"University of Pennsylvania, Home to the Nerds."  A famous stereotype of Penn students is that they tend to be nerdy, due to their previous academic achievements. As a fresh Penn student, I can say for sure that this isn't always the case. I wasn't the top of my class; however, my GPA (of 3.5) is high enough to be enrolled here. Reading my acceptance letter makes me feel like a Disney character finally getting my happy ending after going through a devastating plot. Days felt like weeks as I waited for the new semester to start.  As I saw the university getting closer and closer during the taxi trip, the feeling of excitement rushed through my veins, and a huge smile formed on my face. This is the university where many billionaires have graduated from, including Elon Musk. This has been a dream of mine that I have been yearning for since I was in middle school, and being here feels like a fairytale or a lucid dream, that I can't and won't want to get out of for...

Hello, to those who may be reading this on the other side. You may know me... or not. Either way, Hey! I’m Angeline, nice to meet ya!   …   Oh, you want to know more about me? Well, I’m me…? I’m not sure what you want to know about me. I’m just your everyday 17-year-old senior student. I listen to music, I dance, and… Oh! If you want me to be less generic, I have economics as my favorite subject! That should be enough for you to know what kind of person I am, right? …No? Well, I’m never the best at these kinds of introductions… Haha. So, apologies for the disappointing introduction. Honestly, I’ve never been that type of person who enjoys socializing and I’m fine being in my own bubble, like a jellyfish ! Swimming around, minding my own business, doing things that I love (such as making music, dancing and animating) and staying away from outside conflicts. What a nice life that must be! But hey! Don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t mind some company and I’m used to socializing by...

Note: This story is about self-honesty and the importance of accepting others' differences. The story may involve sensitive topics such as bullying and self-harm, which might upset readers.} Dear Diary, I don’t even know who I am anymore. Everything I did was based on the choice that I made. But, why do I feel like I’m attached to an invisible string, being controlled such as marionettes? ***   “Psst, what’s the answer to question number 3?” a whisper yelled out. I looked back, and a girl with long straight hair and crystal clear skin was talking to me. Kiera is her name, a close friend of mine since we were children. “It’s 24,” I answered. “Thanks, I owe you big time!” she whispered back. The class was quiet as the bottom of the sea; nobody dared to say a word, no one wanted to be accused of cheating. It’s not that I don’t care, it's just what friends do, we help each other, that’s what Kiera said. Even so, the feeling of guilt swallows me whole: “Why am I so weak?” I muttered...

Often, we hear in the news, articles, and even from adults, how distracting a phone can be to one’s everyday life. Preventing them from maximizing their productivity level and motivation. Hence leads to the banning of the use of cell phones in many institutions, including schools. Although I believe their intention to raise future generations stems from good intentions, banning this technological device in the education field could have disadvantages for students' learning experiences. Many disadvantages come when an institution decides to ban cellphones from a classroom environment. In this text, I would like to go over the disadvantages of this policy as well as why it should be the other way around. Growing up with Technological Advancement In today’s world, technology plays a huge role in human life. I, for one, believe that technology will take over a lot of fields of work shortly. Therefore, as an institution that is helping shape children’s future, they should allow them to ...

Academic Burnouts?  Academic burnouts, a negative emotional, physical and mental reaction caused by various factors, resulting in exhaustion and reduced ability in school. According to gitnux.org’s article “High School Student Burnout Statistics: Market Report & Data,” 56.67% of high school students experienced burnout.  Students all over the world are fighting for grades, academic validation and preparing for their future ahead of them, resulting in them being overworked and setting themselves unrealistic expectations, hence causing them to burn out.   Symptoms includes; negative emotions towards learning, failing to absorb information and being exhausted, burnouts could be self-diagnosed. Burnouts, if not managed and treated, could cause demotivation, insomnia and mental problems (such as depression and anxiety).  However, do not fear, as there is a way to heal from burnouts and they are only temporary. Fyodor Dostoevsky states, “You will burn and you wil...