When I reflect on my high school days, I often share those memories with my friends, usually  while sitting in the library. ‘It was the time of our lives,’ my friend Shirley remarked one day, as we stressed over our math midterm. Suddenly, I found myself reminiscing about high school, particularly the challenging four years I endured. I asked myself, ‘Why do I keep recalling those moments?’ Vague memories that were once hazy became clear in my mind, especially the one where I sat on my balcony with five cups of coffee, struggling with that troublesome calculus problem. I don’t think I ever managed to solve it. This led me to ponder the value of some high

school lessons. Don’t get me wrong; I loved my biology and psychology classes. However, certain subjects like math and chemistry made me question, ‘Will I ever need to use

this?’ I understand the importance of learning the fundamentals, but will I really need abstract algebra while conducting experiments in my biology lab? I remember almost botching an experiment with flies in high school because I was preoccupied with thoughts about how

I might have fumbled my set theory pop quiz. A mere misstep could have resulted in a 20% deduction from my final grade. I never thought I’d be sitting here, sharing this story with all of you from my dorm room. Most likely, I wouldn’t have. One of the unique aspects of my school was the element of surprise we experienced. Yes, I’m referring to pop quizzes and, as my school used to call them, ‘spot tests.’ Why, you might wonder? When I was daydreaming about weekend plans or doodling intricate designs in the margins of my notebook, out of nowhere, we’d hear, ‘Girls, take out your pens; we’re having a quiz now.’ It often took me five minutes to

process the situation, and just like that, I’d have only ten minutes left to complete the quiz. It felt like living in a suspenseful thriller, where the climax could strike at any moment.

The only thing scarier than the suspenseful music was the prospect of making an error in the quadratic formula. But it was high school, and it’s what has allowed me to sit here, boasting about attending one of the best colleges in the country. One unexpected question at a time, high

school helped me realize that the most important part of my life right now is my friends, and there’s more to come.