Working Teens

Many kids juggle school, friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, sports, family and have a job. I never could relate to how it felt to work on top of all the other things but now I can. Though my job is really easy and laid back, I can imagine how hard it must be for other kids to stay on top of things when a job is thrown into someones list of things to do.

It's hard work but I think it's well worth it. It teaches time management, responsibility, and work skills, but the best part of it all is earning money. I think the main thing that keeps people moving is remembering that after all the hard work they will get that big, fat paycheck.

Teenagers have a lot on their plates but I think it's just preparing us for independence. Despite all the times I said I didn't want to work, I'm glad I have a job now and I definitely got lucky with this one. Now I'm just waiting for my first, tiny paycheck!

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College

College is the next big adventure in our lives. The first taste of independence and the first step toward our adult lives. The process we have all gone through to get to this part of our lives wasn't easy. We had AP classes, dual enrollment, exams, SOL's, SAT's, ACT's and multiple college applications. It's tough, but at the end we all wait patiently for that one letter that decides where our adventure will begin; the acceptance letter.

The feeling of being accepted somewhere is different for everyone. Some may feel relieved, or average while others are overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. Knowing that all that hard work payed off and the college of your dreams accepted you is something to be proud of. That's just the beginning of a great, new life experience.

Though we all have worked hard, we won't all be accepted. Being denied, deferred, or wait listed is definitely not what anyone wants to hear, but everything happens for a reason. Maybe that school just isn't the right place. We all learn to accept rejection and remember that we just need to work harder the next time around. College is going to be an awesome experience for everyone no matter what school and it's just the beginning of many acceptances and many denials.

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Be The Best You Can Be

I was looking through my twitter the other day and I saw this tweet that stood out to me, it said, "There's so many girls that I look at and think "I wish I was them. They're pretty and got it all going for 'em." #fmylife."
I hate when I see things like this. I understand that people have their insecurities, we all do, but there's no need to wish you were someone else. As we grow up we all have to learn to accept ourselves for who we are because that's all we'll ever be. If I had the chance to talk to this girl, this is what I would say:

 Never wish to be someone else, or judge people by how they look on the outside. Their life may look perfect, and they may act like it's perfect, but I guarantee you it's not. Every single person is going through something in their life and some may have it tougher than others. That girl with the perfect skin, hair, clothes, and personality might be the one suffering from bulimia. That boy that's the football star with the nice sports car might be failing all of his classes and have no future for himself at all. Before you look on the outside and wish you were someone else, think about the things that can happen behind closed doors. Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems.
Remember to appreciate what you have, and who you are. Instead of being jealous of someone, let them become your inspiration. Focus on yourself and trying to become the best person you can be. Maybe one day all your hard work will pay off and you'll look in the mirror and say "I'm glad to be me."

Losing Loved Ones

Losing a loved one is something everyone will go through in their life. Some may have already experienced such a loss, others, luckily, have not.

Death is a part of life. One day we all will come to terms with the fact that our time is limited. It's a hard thing to think about and to wrap your mind around, but we all have to do it.

Coping with a death is different for many people. Some may mourn for long periods of time, while others may only mourn for a few days or weeks. Some may even try to run away from it and not face the reality of someone being gone forever. But sooner or later we all have to realize that there is nothing we can do. We all have to learn to accept it and try to be happy again.

Someone very important to me once said, "celebrate their life and the times you shared together. Don't focus on the fact that you'll never see them again." This is such an important thing to remind yourself. We should always remember the good memories about the one you have lost and try to accept this unfortunate part of life. Though death is difficult, we must learn to see it in the best light possible.

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Acceptance

Fat, ugly, stupid, and boring; these are just a few of the names kids call one another. Kids judge each other on a daily basis on appearance, wealth, and even intelligence. People are constantly being criticized and evaluated without even realizing it. We all do it, and we are all the victim at one point or another.

Growing up involves struggling with acceptance. Everyone wants to have a lot of friends and for people to like them for who they are as a person. Though acceptance is easy for some people, it can be difficult for others. Some people may be shy, or come from a lower class family that may not be able to afford the hottest new style. Growing up in a world that revolves around materialism drowns out the important things like personality and talent. When it comes to accepting someone, it's about how they look or dress instead of their personality and character.

Nobody wants to be called any of the names I mentioned previously, and people will do just about anything to prevent that from happening. Kids will change their entire look just to fit in with the popular crowd and even change the way they act, or the type of music they listen to, and eventually they will forget who they really are inside. It's hard to be that one kid that gets picked on and feel as though you'll never be accepted no matter how hard you try, but it happens to all of us eventually.

I went through this exact problem as a kid. Sometimes I went home crying because some girls didn't like me, or maybe a boy called me ugly that day. It turned out that a few years later as I got older, those same people who made fun of me and told me how ugly I was were the ones who wanted to be my friend and told me I was pretty.
This goes to show that acceptance is tough sometimes, but one day you will be appreciated and you will find people who accept you for exactly the way you are without changing a single thing about yourself. If you truly want to be accepted, just be yourself and nothing else.