In our society, being “popular at school” seems like it is the most important thing in life. Almost all movies that regard school have a popular clique along with a loser clique. For example, Mean Girls is a great movie that emphasizes the many different cliques within any high school. First and foremost, there is the “Regina George” group aka “the popular clique” where they are known for their appearance and strong opinioned attitudes. Then, every other clique other than Regina George’s group is considered “unpopular”. Moreover, the sterotypical popular clique is the most well known group of students that wear designer clothing and drive nice cars while the loser clique is part of the marching band or the math team. However, what does it really mean to be popular, and is being popular the most important thing in life? Many students today may think that being the “popular” kid is the most vital aspect of high school. In fact, I would say that a majority of students in our society think that if one is not considered popular, he/she is automatically a loser or a nerd.
   
    To me, being the “Regina George” of high school has no value whatsoever. I think that being popular is nothing but a useless label that high school offers to students. Many students might think that if they’re not part of the popular clique, their lives are automatically down the drain. However, it is important to realize that being in the popular clique doesn’t have much value to life. I would say that the most important thing in high school is being happy with the friends that one may have. This is definitely better than being unhappy in high school, always trying to fit in with the crowd. Don’t get me wrong, not all popular students are mean and catty-some may be very genuine and kind, hence their popularity. So, if you didn’t take anything meaningful out of this post, remember one thing- being popular in high school isn’t everything.  
 
 
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Are you one of those teens who are constantly afraid or embarrassed to ask your parents for money? Or are you one of those parents that are annoyed at constantly giving out money to your children? Yes, we all know that money is hard to make but easy to spend. We also know that money is valuable. However, adults aren’t the only ones that need to spend money. Teenagers need money too. Of course, parents need to spend money on serious issues like the mortgage and insurance bills, but, do you remember what it’s like being a teenager? I’m pretty sure you didn't just sit at home all day doing nothing, right? Teenagers just want to have fun, whether it means going to the mall or the movies with friends. In addition, teenagers want to be able to “fit in with the crowd.” We want to wear designer clothing and expensive shoes that society pressures us to wear. And, indeed, nothing in life comes free. So, if you’re one of those teenagers who are sick and tired of asking your parents for money, there are several ways that you can earn an allowance for yourself.

Quick ways teenagers can earn money:

-Tutoring people in subjects such as math, English, history, science, etc.

-Give lessons on how to play a specific instrument, sport or any skill

-Applying for a job at a local store such as a bakery or pizza shop

-Babysitting

-Pet sitting

-Shoveling snow

-Washing and cleaning your neighbor’s cars

-Running errands for people (drop items off at different locations, walk dogs)

-Taking out the garbage

How teenagers can save the money they earn:

-Deciding between needs and wants

-Budgeting

Earning money doesn't mean that teenagers have to sacrifice their entire time towards their job. They can set up a work schedule that accommodates him/her. In addition, teenagers who work part time, tend to realize more about the value of money.

 
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    Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “I wish everything would be the same. I wished we continued to talk?” Immediately, feelings of nostalgia intrude your memories, and all you have left is a sense of hopelessness. You instantly feel regret to what you may have said and the actions that might have caused the distance and awkwardness between you and that one particular person. Or, on the other hand, you might have also uttered in your mind, “Wow, I’m so glad we don’t talk anymore.” Then, trillions of bad memories and not-so-fond moments rush to your head. Well, welcome to high school. In high school, this kind of talk and dialogue happens five times a week while walking through the big yet, narrow hallways.  No matter how hard you try to avoid people, the hallways always come back with a vengeance, leading you to that one person you might have wanted to dodge.           

In the last year of middle school, I vividly remember an upperclassmen telling me that friends will always come and go in high school. Me, being naïve and inexperienced, thought that such thing would never happen to me. I thought that my group of friends would always stay by my side and I would do the same for them. However, sadly, the wise words of the upperclassmen were absolutely correct. It is safe to say that in high school, students really get the chance to realize who was there for them, and those who literally, came and left. With my group of friends, there wasn’t a particular argument that caused distance. To be honest, disagreements don’t always result in distance. It can simply be the fact that in high school, you really are just a small fish in a big pond. High school is a place where you get to meet so many new people, some that are just candidly outside your element. Meeting new people and clicking with them right away can cause separation with the ones you once shared a close friendship or bond with.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that everyone entering high school will have a completely new center of friends. In fact, I know some people that have been best friends since elementary school. However, this distance of people you were once close with can result in heartache and distrust. Furthermore, people may not realize this, but sometimes distance can be a good thing. For example, if distance never happened to me, I probably would have never met the people in my life today. So there you go; when people tell you that you might have completely different friends in high school, use your own judgment! (Or you should probably believe them!)


 
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Have you ever heard your parents say,” When I was a kid, school was much more difficult than it is today?” Of course you have. Parents always think that high schoolers “have it easy” and all teens ever do is hangout with friends. In their minds, after the bell rings at 3:00 PM, kids go straight to Starbucks to get their usual caramel frappachinos or go straight home only to watch the new episode of Pretty Little Liars or to play the next level of Halo. Parents believe when high schoolers are studying, they actually just go to the library to talk their usual group of friends. Then, parents give teens a huge pep talk and that one look of disappointment, and from that moment on, we all know that it’s over; no cell phones or computers for a week. “It must be nice to have nothing to worry about” says almost every parent.  But really, it’s not like that at all.

Actually, kids don’t hangout every single day of the week. We make sure to put time and effort into our schoolwork, but parents never seem to understand that fact. In fact, most of the high schoolers I know care about their grades in school. As a sophomore, I’ve figured out that homework does take a lot of time, effort, and sometimes discipline. For example, midterm week requires students to make themselves inseparable from their textbooks and forces us to study almost six chapters in every subject. Last year during midterm week, I had a chance to go to my friend’s house for a sleepover. All of my friends were going to be there, but I knew midterms were more important to me, so I didn't go. Parents may not be aware of the fact that students actually have to make sacrifices in their social lives and extracurricular activities. I wish that parents could realize that it takes patience, responsibility, and sacrifices in order to do well in school.