School gives us some of the best years of our life. It is the place where we make our most cherished memories. Starting from the classes to the breaks, we cry, smile, laugh and grow with our friends together. Just imagining our school days brings a smile to our faces but is living, growing and surviving in school so easy? Is it a walk in the park or just like life, we also face ups and downs during these thirteen years? For some, school can be their worst nightmare. Not because of getting early in the morning, but maybe because of the upcoming exams next week or being bullied by their classmates and made into a laughing stock. Growing up is not easy. From turning into teenager to shaping ourselves as a mature adult is one of the most difficult things a person goes through. We all fear failure, the ‘what if’ that constantly consumes our daily thoughts and the uncertain future that lies ahead of us. Getting into a good college becomes our top priority and the pressure that students face from their teachers and parents just add to their stress which in most cases leads to depression or major anxiety. In February, a Pew survey found that 70 percent of teenagers say anxiety and depression is a “major problem” among their peers, and an additional 26 percent say it's a minor problem. The social aspect of high school is well known by all of us. Everyone tries to ‘fit in’ so desperately that somewhere along the way, we lose the ‘real’ us. We fear judgment and criticism so much that we often do things which we may not have done if not the fear lurking in the corner, provoking us. Peer pressure not only involves academic competition but also having the most number of friends. Mental health has also become a taboo in Indian society. It is believed as something which brings shame and disgrace to a family. Such notions often convince the students that either they are not enough or they are not ‘normal’. Is surviving high school so easy? In this world, we all so desperately try to show our lives as ‘perfect’ that now no one has the courage to stand out and be different. We must remember that love and support from those who believe in us and love us can help us overcome any obstacle in our lives. There are people who are there to help us, be it for our studies of for our health; we just need to reach out. We need to have courage and believe in ourselves dare to be different, to be who we are.
