As thousands of students wander between the green doors, looks of exasperation and annoyance aren’t hard to find. A long 6 hours and 45 minutes are ahead of these students as they try to muster together ounces of energy to get through the day. Many students view the school with disdain as they dread the ring of the morning bell.
But why is this the reality for countless students? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems at first glance. Maybe it’s a mix of the overcrowding, the pressure of getting good grades, the teachers, the early start time and more. Or maybe WJ isn’t a giant hindrance and it’s just about perspective.
WJ has fallen in recent rankings when it comes to academics. In its most recent rankings, US News ranked WJ the 15th best school in the state. While in 2020, the school was sixth.
These rankings are a bit scary for a student, yet 15th is nothing to be ashamed of. WJ is still in the top 4% of high schools nationwide. Although it’s easy to focus on the drop, it’s all about how you look at the school as a whole as it stands today.
That’s where the solution lies for this plague of resentment towards WJ: perspective. People need to stop focusing on the bad and start focusing on the good. WJ is in one of the wealthiest areas in the county and there’s a lot to look forward to in the walls between Rockledge Drive and Rock Spring Drive.
Considering the fact that the school is in a relatively safe and prosperous area in the county comes a need for a sense of gratitude amongst its tenants. And that sense of gratitude must be continued in its students as well. Every student should be grateful for the opportunity to go to WJ.
When looked at in the eyes of another student, WJ can be further freed from the chains of resentment that are brought upon by its students. Many students across the country don’t get access to classes and extracurricular activities that students at WJ do.
All this isn’t to say that there aren’t issues at WJ. The overcrowding and pressure on students are two big ones but at the end of the day, everyone is doing the best they can. Every school is going to have its pros and cons and school is what you make out of it.
Sometimes a school day can feel like the most draining experience that can suck the last bit of fight in anyone. However, that’s just life and some days are going to be dreadful no matter what. Students need to stop acting so put out and take the four years they have here and live them to their fullest potential.
Because there will come a day, maybe in the last week or two of senior year, where as you walk through the halls, you’ll take a moment and realize maybe school wasn’t that bad. It’s time to start realizing that now and not wait until it’s too late.
