Oct Prowler

PROWLER 9 Opinion On bad days, I worry about my physics homework and my SAT score. I stay up tossing and turning, splitting hairs over the number of extracurricular activities I will have under my belt by the time I have to send in my college applica- tions. I get sick thinking about how much I have on my plate, and I kick myself for not caring about my GPA when I actu- ally had a chance to make it significantly better. I spend a shameful amount of time scrolling through my Infinite Campus screen in my head, fretting over the rows of less- than-perfect grades. Then, every so often, I put my hands on my head in an attempt to set my thinking straight, and I imagine how much of this would actually matter if I were to be hit by a car. I don’t know if your life actually flashes before your eyes when you’re in a near- death experience, but if that kind of thing does happen, I can tell you one thing: I’d re- member the times I actually learned something in school, not the times I made perfect grades. I would remember the moments. I would re- member how much my US History teacher made my class laugh and how it felt when my biology teacher revealed to me that people are just made of light and carbon dioxide, es- sentially. I’d remember the looks on the faces of those on my newspaper staff when we got our first issue back from the printer. I wouldn’t remem- ber the grade of my most recent math test or yesterday’s ACT practice question. And if, God forbid, some- thing tragic were to happen to me, I’d be heartbroken to know that my academic track record meant so much to people that it defined me after I stopped walking the earth. What a small life I must have lived if my only claims to fame had to do with my class rank or which row I sat in at graduation. I’d feel a little snubbed if someone decided to miss me less because of how well I scored on my EOCTs. If you made me look back on my life’s greatest hits moments so far, I wouldn’t have many academic scenes to share. I’d rather tell you about how I can see the sun dapple through dew drops in spider webs on trees on the way to school in the morning, or the time I spent talking with a friend instead of studying just a few more terms for the next day’s quiz. I’m not saying educational success is a bad thing to seek—it’s not. Learning is beautiful, and getting good grades means you’re doing just that. But it can become unhealthy. At least for me, when grade point average translates to life’s meaning, and when you stop participating in real life stuff just to measure up to a fabricated standard set by people in a corporate office. There will always be a higher rung to reach for on the lad- der that is the modern educa- tional system. We’re swindled into thinking we’re about to live the lives we were meant for as soon as we cement the valedictorian position or the college acceptance. But to what end? At what cost? Your life will mean whatever you let it mean. That’s cool if it all comes down to school for you, but I’m warning you now: you might have a very boring, dry greatest moments reel to watch some day if your life really does end up flashing before your eyes. But What If I Got Hit By a Car? By Katherine Hancock khancockprowler@gmail.com Many students seem to be constantly sur- rounded by textbooks, transcripts, and to-do lists. Photo by Katherine Hancock.

Oct Prowler

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