For a recent project, our class was assigned to create a presentation for junior highers. We started to brainstorm all the characteristics that junior high students have. Most people did not exactly experience their prime in their junior high years. Naturally, as we reminisced on our junior high years, most of the descriptive words on the board were negative. Junior highers are insecure, they do not know who they are, they are rude, insensitive, messy, not hygienic, awkward, and the list went on and on. While I am sure no one truly wants to relive junior high, I believe there are a lot of beneficial characteristics junior highers possess that more people should.
Dream about their future
Junior high is the first time the “What do you want to do with your life?” question starts to become real. The beautiful thing about this age is that people’s career dreams are starting to get more realistic but there is still optimism. It is no longer astronauts and movie stars, but students are not not striving for “just a good job” either. In junior high, students have the ability to dream about their future. This should not stop at the ripe age of 14. Some of the coolest people I know changed their career path at 40 and are living full lives. Yes, you pick a major in college in hopes of going in a certain direction but that is not always the case. Plans and interest change and that is more than okay. The major you pick at 18 is not a death sentence to work in a certain field for the rest of your life. More people should take on the attitude of a junior higher when thinking about their career. People should be confident in achieving their dream career.
Ability not to care
What I envy most about junior highers is their ability not to care. This may sound like an oxymoron because insecurities are at an all-time high in this season of life; however, junior highers have a boldness about them that I believe we all should have. At this age, they are not yet aware of what is socially weird. From leading a junior high life group in church, I learned that they are not afraid to say exactly what they are thinking, even when it is a little rude. Or they are not afraid to use weird mating calls towards their crush. I am not suggesting being painfully honest or to add bird calls to your bag of tricks, but rather to take a little bit of naive confidence from a junior higher. Our hearts can become hardened by life the older we get but do not let it be. In college all the adult responsibilities can get to be overwhelming. It is easy to get caught up in what people are thinking and if you are following the normal formula of life. I dare you to care less about what people think. To pretend you are not yet aware of the expectations the world has set for you. Then you will quickly realize that there were never true expectations for you in the first place.
While most of us have no desire to relive our junior high years there are many characteristics of a junior higher we can learn to appreciate. That season of life is awkward, and acne infested, but it shapes young people into becoming their true selves. However, we must also remember who we were before the world told us who to be. Sometimes channeling your inner junior higher is all you need.