Top Ten Most Thrilling Academic Moments of My High School Career

Throughout my four years of high school, I have experienced many academic moments that I am certain I will remember for years to come.

1. College Acceptances- When I received all of my college decisions, I was excited to learn that I had been accepted at all of the schools I considered attending.  My mom soon informed me that if they “Fill[ed] thy purse with money” and I could go anywhere I desired (Shakespeare 1.3.344). I felt quite satisfied to know that my dedication to academics throughout high school had finally reaped rewards.

2. Letter of Commendation- When I was first called down to the office last year, I panicked. I wondered what I had done wrong to have been summoned out of AP Physics. When Mr. Rydquist informed the other nine students around me and myself that we had awarded letters of commendation for National Merit, I was thrilled. Mr. May instructed us to line the stairs for a quick picture. However, after five minutes of waiting, Mr. May had yet to find his camera. We all wondered, ‘“where is the camera? What’s taking so long?” (Lahiri 290).

3. Cum Laude- When I received my letter of induction into Cum Laude I reflected upon all of my hard work throughout high school and became excited as I realized that “it isn’t easy to be anything now-a-days” (Wilde 7) My hard work and dedication had finally paid off.

4. MC Game- The Multiple Choice Game at the end of third quarter ranks high on the list of academic memories I will never forget. My team, comprised of Cat Cashy, Sarah Ross, Kaleigh O’Hara and me, defeat the self-proclaimed “Dream Team.” I felt quite accomplished leaving class that morning as, before the actual game I had doubted our team’s success when Kaleigh and Sarah disagreed on numerous questions; “They argue[d] violently about such things” (Lahiri 107).

5. Othello Data Sheet- Once again, Ms. Serensky’s stickers  excite me. Even after spending countless hours perfecting my first data sheet, I worried I had done everything wrong. My fears did not settle until I received my graded Data Sheet with the biggest sticker I have ever seen at the top of the 18-page stack. I questioned, “Is’t possible?” (Shakespeare 4.1.44). After the shock passed, the excitement settled in as I then realized I had truly achieved something.

6. First sticker in AP English-I will always remember receiving my first sticker ever in AP English 11. When I glanced down at the paper before me, “I felt there was some slight error” (Wilde 39). “Surely, Ms. Serensky had accidentally placed the sticker on my paper” I thought to myself. I never believed I would write a paper deserving of one of Ms. Serensky’s special stickers. I could not have been happier than on that memorable day.

7. Baby Bio Lap Report- I felt truly accomplished when I received my graded Fruit Fly Report in freshman year biology. When I turned to the last page in the report to see my score, I noticed Mr. Ricci’s not so subtle note, in bright red pen, at the top of my paper, “Master of ALL Biological Knowledge!” Although “one does not blurt these things out to people,” I felt a true sense of pride and accomplishment in my work (Wilde 17).

8. Summer Reading essays-Another thrilling moment of my academic career at CFHS occurred in the first week of senior year. I thought I had done a horrible job on my in class writing for one of our summer reading books, but apparently that was not the case. After completing that writing, however, I fretted for days. I am not sure what I thought the worrying would do, since I had already submitted the paper and the damage was done, but I worried anyway. I reminded myself, “Do not weep, do not weep” (Shakespeare 4.2.123). I was thrilled when Ms. Serensky handed back the papers and I saw the light reflect off of a bright sticker at the top of my paper.

9. Senior year midterms- I was quite enthralled when this year I did better on my midterms than I had done any other year of high school. One would think that my scores would naturally rise as the “comforts should increase/…as [my] days do grow” in school but I have experienced the opposite effect (Shakespeare 2.1.192-193). Each year, instead of feeling less overwhelmed and more in control for the midterms, I panic as I try to study the complicated and vast information I have learned in half a semester.

10. AP Physics-  As I think back on my experiences in AP Physics one day in particular comes to mind, the day I received a 100% on one of our unit tests. As the days grew closer to the AP test, I felt less and less confident in my understanding of the material. Yet, when I got received our last unit test with a 100% circled at the top, my confidence soared. I gasped, stunned, “as if it were something truly extraordinary” (Lahiri 265). 

My most memorable sticker from Ms. Serensky