We often overlook the fact that high school marks a crucial point in our lives for self-discovery as students. We often emphasize the significance of high school in our careers, but undervalue its significance to our worldview, values, and personal philosophy. In elementary and middle school, we start pursuing our wants and needs. However, in college, we have already reached adulthood and are starting to navigate daily life alone. Thus, high school is immensely important because it serves as an intermediary period to formulate a better understanding and confidence in ourselves. 

I find a key issue at Lexington High School is that students start pursuing greater passions and career goals before they start evaluating what their own values and desires are, resulting in a lack of self-awareness. I experience this phenomenon more often than I would like. For instance, when other people tell me a class is not right for me, I listen to them immediately. When someone tells me that a certain mentality is right while another one is wrong, I take their advice without consideration. Eventually, I realized that it’s impossible to make good decisions for myself when my entire set of values is defined by other people.

This lack of self-awareness also corresponds to students struggling with unhealthy perfectionism. Just to clarify, I don’t necessarily believe that perfectionism is always harmful. Wanting to attain perfection isn’t inherently bad because it provides strong motivation, however, it becomes harmful when the student doesn’t realize that their end goal is actually unattainable. 

While for many of us this is still a complicated concept to navigate, I believe that it’s beneficial to start finding a middle ground between how you perceive yourself and how you are perceived by others. I find it helpful to identify which concept should take precedence in various circumstances. For example, in any case solely concerning myself, such as choosing what to eat or wear, I choose to prioritize my own perception over any external influence. In a collaborative setting like a group presentation, I consider other perspectives while advocating for my own ideas. 

Without being able to consider both external judgment and individual values, it’s impossible to improve and grow as a person. Therefore, finding a balance is key.