Dear Class of 2020: Do your best in the moment

Days in the sun. PHOTOGRAPHER: SOLEIL KRCMAR

Welcome, Class of 2020, to the beginning of your Grade 11 year,

You’re finally experiencing what is rumoured to be the “most stressful” and “hardest” year in school; teachers are going to start talking to you about your future and all its possibilities. I know it feels stressful when teachers and even students drop words along the lines of “universities” and “exams”, but here’s the biggest tip that I could possibly give you: you still have two years. Take advantage of all the new electives you could try, the new sports teams that are being added to the already-huge roster, and those exciting clubs that you’ve always wanted to join. Take it from me - a girl still figuring out what she wants in life - you don’t have to have everything sorted out by the end of this year. I can guarantee you that no one, myself included, knows what’s in store for the future. So enjoy the moments of Grade 11.

Beyond that, the biggest tip I can give you (that I wish I realized sooner) is to do your best in this moment. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best you’ll ever do; instead, it means you need to focus on doing the best you can, given the time and place you are in.

What does doing your best mean? Teachers can say to us, “As long as you do your best, you’ll be fine. Don’t stress.” Here’s the thing: that doesn’t work! I know from experience that I will still be stressed no matter how much people say I should not be. In fact, I somehow feel more stressed when my teachers or parents tell me to stop being stressed. For some people, doing your best might mean being number 1 - always getting 4+s on every test. For others, it could be a participation ribbon - focusing on the process instead of on the results.

Sometimes, when you do your best, it’ll reveal itself as expected. But other times, it’ll be unexpected or not as good as you hoped. Maybe you were overwhelmed by projects, you had a lot of extracurriculars, or there was something going on in your personal life. But it was the best you could do at the moment. If it wasn’t, reevaluate and think about what you could do differently next time.

At times, conditions will be completely out of your control. Be kind and cut yourself some slack. It may feel like everyone else is further ahead in this race, but the most important thing you can do is block all that out. Don’t focus on what other people are doing or the goals that other people have for themselves; everyone has different circumstances and situations they’re dealing with. Instead, look at yourself; challenge yourself to be in the moment and do the best you can in that moment. This might just be the key to ensuring your mental health is good while also doing your best this year.

XOXO,

Kyla