Two months ago, I was triumphantly strutting through the halls of Valencia High School as the final bell signaled the conclusion of my freshman year. A sense of liberation overcame me, replacing the apprehension felt over the last nine months. Summer was beckoning, and I was about to answer. Next year seemed a life time away.

Yet here I am, silently gaping at a box on my calendar circled in a deep red. There is only 14 days, five hours and eleven minutes away from my sophomore year at Valencia High. The upcoming school term had gradually snuck up on me. I had evaded the signs, as the commercials began advertising school supplies again, and the stores began promoting their yearly back to school sales.

My stomach flip flopped at the intense workload my sophomore year would bring, revealed through the teachers' time-consuming summer assignments. Memorizing the ongoing lists of polyatomic ions and various history terms has rattled my exhausted brain. My sophomore year will have its challenges and trials, testing my overall determination. And, of course, next year will test the range of my stress levels. Long nights with few hours of sleep await me, as the daily feeling of apprehension begins again. Questions fill my head, pounding continuously. Should I drop this class? How difficult will the teacher be? Can I even get through this year? My mind struggles with these questions, as well as a list of chemistry equipment required to be memorized.

Memorization is crucial in high school, which I established during my freshman year. During my first year, I took my first AP (Advanced Placement) class. The challenging course is created to prepare students for the vital test at the end of the term. Endless hours of studies accompanied the test; so much so in fact, that I realized AP doesn't always stand for advanced placement. It is known to bring Anger Preparation, Anxiety Problems and Annual Punishment.

Yet don't be fooled, high school is an environment for positive emotions as well, if you forget about the homework, anxiety, frustration, and obstacles it brings. With high school comes the feeling of accomplishment through determination. With this determination, obstacles are overthrown and abolished. Goals are achieved. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "By perseverance, the snail reached the ark." This ability to persevere gives us the capacity to succeed.

Soon, I will be that snail yet again, joining the other animals on the quest for perseverance and achievement. I will enter high school with an open mind and determined heart, confronting the trials and emotions it brings with a smile. Oh, and I'll also have my list of polyatomic ions memorized by then.