We all know that person who throws all of their effort and energy in to one task, be it one class, school in general, gardening, biking, a club, etc. Jealousy naturally arises when you simply glimpse at all they have accomplished or their grade or status on the team, but we have to really ask if this tactic is really the best. Is working at something 24/7 worth it? Operating under the assumption that this is your only life, is it really worth your time and energy? Frankly, learning to be “round” is best, meaning finding a balance between everything that makes a person purely them.  When one tries to be “round” and embrace all types of different ideas, then they really have the option to compare these new ideas and find aims and make decisions about what they want to focus on, for now and for life. That’s what being a teenager is for, after all; experimenting.

Lots of us are so bogged down by homework because of the classes we decided to take based on our egos and aspirations. But, getting those tough classes on our resumes also means having to let other things slide. It might even mean never attempting to reach our aspirations or searching for them in the first place.  They could be simply preparations for the future, but before you jump in, test the waters. Try other things so you can weigh the benefits they can provide you with.

Other students at our school, if given less homework, claimed they would get “more sleep,” “hang out with friends more,” and “work more.” In other words, they want to focus on their health, social life, and finding other means for planning their future or gaining new experiences. The main point is that there are just so many things to do in this lifetime.

Sure, it seems the world needs diversity and certain people to fully devote themselves to particular tasks in order for them to progress. But, if the world was perfect, I believe it would no longer require the lower, poorer classes to perform the monotonous work that is being constantly executed by machinery anyway. If we would just let machinery take those jobs and increase public education, especially aimed at those who aren’t currently receiving it adequately, then there would be a broader, more diverse array of workers for the communities to take advantage of. Then the greater number of workers in some careers–particularly the careers that need more workers such as the relevant sciences—can collaborate and infuse new ideas and perspectives into their problem-solving. Said perspectives would come from the diverse experiences every person would be able to participate in because their wealth and means have been upgraded. Just as studying history is relevant to studying politics, so is studying math, biology and psychology. It’s sometimes easier to forget that every subject in the world is related to every other subject or problem. However, when one embraces a quality variety of life’s subjects including exploring the mind, body and society, then it becomes a lot harder to forget, all promoting the bettering of the world.

Unfortunately, this is not yet true anywhere in the world, so right now, my belief it that it is best for people to branch out and expand their experience bubble by travel, taking an art class, studying hard in school, trying a new sport or activity or even hanging out with new friends. Try it; try something different. This is our time to do so and it matters.

Thanks to Laura, Joy, Shauna and Michelle Skagen.

Editor’s Note: Guest writer Sonya Maple is a junior in Mrs. Marcello’s U.S. Literature class.