Adversity and Contentment in Bronx Science

Adversity and Contentment in Bronx Science

Whether it be waiting for the 4 train at Lexington Ave, praying that you do well on a test, or even graduating high school, the theme of Trusting the Process: Contentment Through Adversity is present throughout all of your life in significant ways. High school is a big part of our lives; it is the gateway to adulthood and is where we find out the most about ourselves. However, it is also the place in which individuals can feel confused, lost, and go through many hardships. With stress and pressure from class and from friendships, it is hard to be satisfied with oneself during these tough times. But, with a little bit of hope and acceptance, we can surely overcome these obstacles throughout high school.

First, we need to define what contentment and adversity is to really get a deeper understanding of how we can see these present at Bronx Science. According to Merriam Webster, contentment is the state of happiness and satisfaction. Adversity on the other hand is misfortune and difficulties. Throughout high school, we face many difficulties which can cause us to not feel content. Whether it be academically or emotionally, both of these ideas make up a big portion of these four years of our lives.

At Bronx Science, the themes of adversity and contentment are certainly present in many ways. For example, students are challenged academically with rigorous courses and this causes many people to feel pressured. Grades, although they are just a mere number on paper, do not define who we are as people, but some students feel as if their grades are what represent their intelligence. From a young age, we have developed certain expectations of ourselves and when we cannot fulfill these expectations, we feel unhappy and unsatisfied. We distract ourselves from the actual learning and only focus on trying to get a higher GPA without caring whether we know the material or not. Academically, we can face many hardships. No matter how much material we review, no matter how much we study, sometimes we do not do well and that is okay. The grades on our report cards do not define us, and feeling stressed is a normal thing in high school that we can eventually overcome.

Another example of how the themes of contentment and adversity are present at Bronx Science are throughout friendships. We all have heard of the typical high school cliches. From the popular mean girls, to the jocks, to the nerds, fitting in and finding friends can be difficult especially in your first year. Freshmen year, as many people describe, is like a free trial. Within this year, you can sort out who to stay friends with and figure out who is loyal and who is not. Often times, people can feel isolated and have drama with their companions which causes lots of distress. Emotional pain has a great impact and this can affect people negatively. People do not feel content with themselves because the people they hang out with seem to be better than they are. They go through distress in order to become a person they are not. High school is the point where everyone tries to figure out who they are, but people can be phony and never be who they truly are. Both contentment and adversity are found at Bronx Science, but hanging out with people who love you for who you are can overcome this obstacle.