High school is complicated, a lot of hard work, and a seems like a big pain. But we go because it basically controls the rest of our lives. Where do we go? I always assumed that just like the middle school I would just go to the next default school, which is an obvious no-brainer. But as an eighth grader, I realize that there’s a lot more to think about. And while some people know exactly where they’re going and what they’re doing, what do I do as an incredibly indecisive person?

I have to look at all of the choices until my brain hurts.

If you are religious, there are a couple of private schools you could look into. But as a non-religious person who lives in Packanack, my two options for school are  PCTI & Wayne Valley. I turned in my PCTI application as an option to have about three months ago. (As of December 31, 2022, PCTI applications are closed.) There are three important reasons to go to a high school. Sports, schoolwork, and the people. But listed now are some of the pros/cons.

SPORTS

Wayne Valley High school has a total of 26 sports teams. Each person has their own preference for sports, so I figured I would put a chart with all of them at the bottom. Each sport has a link to the latest news on the given sport. I’m interested in tennis and fencing, but I think in general Valley wins sports.

When it comes to school work, it again depends on your personal preferences. But in general, unless you know exactly what you wanna do when you grow up or are interested in STEM, you don’t want to go to PCTI. I am possibly interested in civil engineering but I also love writing and ELA. For me, I’ll score this one a draw.

PCTI’s stem building is new and wonderful with the best technology. But on the other hand, there are more people from farther away places. This can work in both ways. You will be in a new and diverse group of people that is much more different than it would be at Valley, so you could make new friends, but they may not live in the same place. Most of your friends will be at Valley so it will make the transition easier. This is a big bonus for me, so I think Valley wins this one.

So to conclude, Valley sounds like the place for me. But honestly, life cannot be based on a point system.  These three questions did give me insight into what I want from the future and hope they help you too. But remember, high school is important, but not 100% of your life. Remember to balance and keep calm