My name is Will Gibbs, and I am a senior at Rockbridge County High School. Over my tenure at the high school, I have learned many things: how to do homework, when to avoid the crowds in the hall, what time to leave the house, etc. But the most important thing has to be this: try new things.
Trying new things allows for growth as an individual. The entire purpose of high school is to make a young teen into a well-reasoned, smart adult. The best way to learn and grow is through making mistakes, and the best way to do that is through trying new things. This puts a person outside of their comfort zone, challenges them to think and act differently, and allows them to make mistakes to better learn their personality. Lucky for everyone, high school embraces this culture of experimentation.
Moreover, this experimentation allows the development of a more well-rounded individual. Trying new things gives a person diverse perspectives and experiences, allowing them to better understand and react to the world around them. In the modern world, everything is interconnected, so even something learned in Future Business Leaders of America can be applied to the swim team. Well-rounded individuals are able to make connections and solve problems in unique ways that others can not.
Furthermore, trying new things makes the best of life. Life can be scary and intimidating, but also people complain about wasting it — not using their time in life for the best. Trying new things allows someone to make the best out of life and explore all it has to offer. And, it allows people to learn what they enjoy and don’t enjoy, and then focus on those activities.
So, my advice to the reader is simply: try something new. Next year is a new year with new opportunities. Show up for the football team tryouts, join the Future Farmers of America, rock a toga at Latin Club, or start your own club. The benefits will shock you.
