Show Up for Yourself

Waking up early in the morning can be hard.

Especially after a summer of sleeping in, spending your days how you want, and not worrying about schedules and assignments. Then suddenly – bam – you’re thrown back into alarm clocks, routines, homework, and planning for exams that feel lightyears away… but somehow also right around the corner.

It’s no wonder so many students struggle to show up when the school year kicks off.

Let’s be real: almost everyone has faked a cough or stomachache to stay home and catch a break. I know I have. Unless you’re a goody two-shoes, there’s a good chance you’ve done it too.

Sometimes, school can feel monotonous.

Wake up.

Get Ready.

Go to class.

Do your homework.

Sleep.

Repeat.

It’s easy to get stuck in a loop that feels like it never ends.

When I was in middle school, there was this acronym I heard a lot:

Seven

Cruel

Hours

Of

Our

Lives

Back then, it felt pretty accurate.

Looking back now, it’s very dramatic.

That said, there was something that helped break that cycle – something that made those seven hours feel a little lighter: extracurriculars.

At my middle school, we had a program called “wheel.” Every nine weeks, we’d rotate through different electives as a trial run for all the things you might be interested in.

I didn’t know then, but my first drama class in 6th grade would change how I present myself.

Growing up, I was a very shy kid – I didn’t talk to people unless they talked to me first. I never put myself out there, but drama pulled me in.

I started opening up. I stopped worrying so much about being looked at and I found a lot of confidence I didn’t know I had.

It might seem like a silly class on the surface, but drama taught me more about life than I ever expected. It showed me how to let go, how to stop overthinking, stop holding back, and just be. It taught me to say yes, to take up space, and not care so much about who’s watching. For the first time, I wasn’t hiding. I was expressing. And honestly? If I hadn’t taken that first drama class, I think I would’ve stayed in my shell forever.

Drama became more than just a class. It became something I loved.

I stuck with it, not just through middle school, but all the way until my junior year of high

school. It gave me a reason to look forward to school.

Life can get overwhelming – classes, work, responsibilities, the pressure to have everything figured out. No matter where you are in your education and life, it’s always about finding something that lights you up. Finding your “thing,” whether it’s a club, a sport, a volunteer group, it can anchor you. It gives you a reason to get up, get out, and get involved.

When you find something that excites you, it makes getting up and starting your day so much easier.

September is Attendance Awareness Month.

We talk a lot about attendance like it’s just a number, but it’s not just about being present in a seat. It’s about why students want to show up in the first place.

Chronic absenteeism doesn’t happen out of nowhere. It creeps in quietly. Maybe after a stressful week, or when school starts to feel like a chore rather than an opportunity. And before you know it, you’ve missed more than just a few days, and you lose motivation. The cycle builds.

But every day a student shows up is another chance to discover what they can do.

Extracurriculars aren’t just “extra.” They’re essential. They give us something to be excited

about and break the cycle of monotony.

It’s all about balance. Don’t overload yourself. One or two things that you genuinely enjoy are enough. Start small and explore. The goal isn’t to be the busiest, it’s to be fulfilled.

Check in with yourself and others. Life can be difficult, and sometimes the pressure to keep it all together gets heavy. We don’t have to do it alone.

You don’t have to have it all together to keep showing up.