A New Perspective

In August, my first blog was a very generic description of who I was and why I was taking sociology. After taking the class, however, I’ve come to realize that my descriptions should have been much more in depth. I am not just a student in high school taking a sociology class. I am a student who has been cultivated and brainwashed into becoming similar to my peers around me. After 17 years of being in my specific school system, I have learned to appreciate opportunities and always strive to be a good student in every one of my classes. So, when my friends told me that sociology was an “easy” course where we would mostly just learn interesting things about people- I immediately signed up. I’m someone who likes learning about my surroundings, and because we don’t have to take a final and there is barely any homework- I knew it would be easy for me to excel. Now, however, I have realized that my course decisions shouldn’t be based of grades. Instead, I should take courses that really interest me and support my values and beliefs. Sociology ended up being a great course because I learned a lot about why I am the way that I am and why everyone around me influences me to be this way, but I now know that my decisions in life can’t be based solely on taking the easiest route that will immediately put me ahead of the game. This valuable lesson has helped shape me into a better person because I’ve realized that now, as I’m heading towards college, I need to make decisions that will follow these guidelines. I need to also realize that because I’ve lived in this community for so long, it has definitely shaped me greatly. Although this area has taught me to value academics and opportunities, I need to also get in touch with people in the world who have different perspectives and who are from different backgrounds. My goal in life is similar to what I said in my first entry: to find my purpose on the planet and live my life to fulfill this purpose and to live to simply enjoy life. But, I have also learned that enjoying life doesn’t mean just getting A’s in school and going to the perfect college. I’ve realized that it’s much more about looking at the world from different perspectives and appreciating what is truly valuable in life.