First Impression of the Silicon Valley

Competitive. Fast-paced. The epitome of your dreams if you can keep up, but your worst nightmare if you fall behind.

In Silicon Valley, many teens go above and beyond in terms of classes and extracurriculars. We have (and utilize) many different resources in the area, community colleges, online schools, startup company internships,  and personalized tutoring are only part of it. On the surface, it seems like a privileged, wondrous society that is bursting to the seams with opportunities, and it is. However, there are also darker aspects in the picture. Gunn High and Palo Alto High are notorious for students jumping off buildings, and students in every school have mental breakdowns because of their workload. These are the students who had given up, or the students who are straining to keep up. Failure is to many something that cannot happen and should not happen. Almost every competitive student is a duck on the water--seemingly calm on the surface, yet pedaling furiously underwater in order to stay afloat.

On the other hand, most teens still have each other as they go through their years in high school. There are times of stress and panic, especially around the dreaded finals week, but there are intermittent periods to rest and recuperate. The view of the future is bright, and many teens strive towards it in hopes of fulfilling their dreams. Despite the stress and hardships, most teens learn to balance their lives between work and fun. I have had my own ups and downs due to the stress in school, but I never had felt like giving up. I feel like the best way to live in Silicon Valley--to not just survive, but thrive--is to step back and take a breather if you feel that it is too much, and to talk to friends and family if your worries threaten to swamp you. Remember that there will always be people who support you and your dreams, and keep on striving towards the future.