Much of our wonder years are spent within the confines of high school walls.

Many of us discover what we want out of our lives in the brief time spent in high school. Retention of what is learnt academically varies in importance depending on the path out of high school. Knowing that a jellyfish is in the phylum Cnidaria does not have postsecondary application to most. The high school environment can be seen as a mini version of the real-world, for many of the same struggles of trying to balance work, relationships, and leisure are perpetually on our minds. The skills learnt through things such as Home Ec., Guitar, and getting to know that cute girl in French Class are bound to be contributive in some form. Just as puberty matures our bodies, so does high school with our minds. Some may say that Math wont help you in the real world.- That is a gross overstatement. Differentiation of a function may only help people like physicists, but simple geometry can help with local home-improvement projects like building a garage. There is a reason why we have a choice in courses, everyone has their own interests and ambitions. Experimenting with courses helps us find what we enjoy out of life. The plethora of courses available at a students disposal dwarfs what was available decades ago. It goes without saying that students are more engaged when the material appeals to them. Courses such as computer programming, gourmet foods, and yearbook design are just a few that I have popped up around course selection time. The generous selection appeals to many niches. Robotics is just one of many courses that have arisen as a product of the computer age. Prospective engineering students can benefit greatly from developing skills needed to get by in the course. The complexity of creating a functional robot should not be underestimated. The combination of rigorous trial-anderror, analysis of data, and application of mathematical concepts (ex. Setting parameters for the robots functions). Working around problems that encounter ed requires analytical skill, an emphasis on precision, and the ability to thinking outside of the box. Problem-solving helps develop a new generation of critical thinkers needed to be effective engineers. These individuals will be responsible for making creative, architectural designs a reality. This along with making infrastructure such as canals, bridges, and tunnels safe. Courses need not benefit future employment either. Foods courses varying in difficulty are beneficial to those who just want to be able to cook a simple meal, to those wishing to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Knowing how to cook is important regardless of career path. These two courses are also ones where teamwork is essential, each group member needing to pull weight to achieve a final product that is worthy to be proud of. Working with others is inescapable in any job. Straying away from academics towards the less tangible is the social aspect of high school. A significant portion (more than a quarter) of a day is spent in school. As the hours accumulate, so do relationships with the peers around us. Fictional media does do a surprisingly good job portraying the relationships (not limited to romantic ones) between students found in a prototypical high school environment. The

Breakfast Club features common characters archetypes such as high school jock, popular girl, and nerd. On the surface, the characters seem run-of-the-mill, by-the-book stereotypes. The jock Andrew Clark is seemingly ultra-competitive and condescending. However, the characters come to connect as their day in detention progresses. The inner turmoil each of the main characters face from a variety of factors (Andrews overbearing father, Benders abusive family, and the suicidal thoughts of Brian) brought about by the pressures faced in their teenage lives. The movie is just one example of how the same growing pains of bullying, love, misunderstanding, and workload stress affect all adolescents. These pains transcend any differences in religion, culture, and gender; they are inescapable. The same pains also carry-over throughout life, having experience dealing with them in high school benefits when the issues resurface. Fortunately, a vast support network of friends, classmates, teachers, and counselors found in a high school when the going gets its toughest. Everyone deals with similar problems, handling them together is usually better than taking them on alone. My friends have been there for me when the stress of schoolwork get to me, and to soothe me over the pain of rejection. The courses we take, the clubs we join, the teams we compete for, and the teachers we grow to enjoy help us on our path of selfdiscovery. The puzzle pieces of memories and interests fit into our growing personalities, and in turn, add more brushstrokes to the canvas of life. The matter of whether high school is the main contributor to preparing someone for adult life varies on a case-bycase basis. However, it is undeniable that it influences what we become through the experiences found both in and outside of a classroom. Not all of us are academics, but interactions with the variety of characters found in a high school environment develops our empathy. My socials teacher has said that the number-one reason why people are fired is not because of a lack of merit, but inadequate people-skills. High school does helps us reach our aspirations. I have grown from a clueless boy with an overzealous fondness of academics to one that understands that brains are not enough to get by in the real world. For someone who has aspirations in the medical field, knowing the function of the Hypothalamus is important. Yet, the ability to feel what a patient is going through, and think critically in life-or-death in situations is equally important. Learning the school material and encountering people from all walks-of-life in high school has prepared me for the road ahead, regardless of the detours I may face.