Reflective Essay: Military School

The words "military school" only exist to be used by parents who want to threaten their children. When I heard my parents threaten to send me to the illusory center that seemed nonexistant, I laughed. When the summer of 2012 came and I was on a flight to New Mexico, the laughing came to an abrupt end. Staring out of the window into fields that looked like Elysium, I reflected on what caused me to be in this situation. Grades were of only moderate importance to me, I was spending most of my time playing video games, and I did not have much initiative leading up to this moment. As I felt the remorse creeping up my spine, I concluded that this was for the best. Upon exiting the plane, I felt I had also exited America, and the school appeared

That was the moment I realized that it was real. I was going to be there for a long time, so I decided to make the most of it. I focused on academics, which were rigorous, and met other unlucky peers that shared the feeling of despair. To distract myself from the strict regulations, I joined the cross country and paintball teams. The passing of time flickered as I devoted myself to running and studying. I assessed that the lesson had been learned as the semester neared its end. I heard stories of people leaving the military school and easily rising to the top of their class because high school was nothing compared to that nightmare. In an effort to receive a better education, I made a hasty depart from New Mexico. The goal of completeing a semester had been acheived. After re-enrolling in a normal high school, I found that not only was putting effort into schoolwork easier, but that I actually enjoyed learning. Now I see that if I did not get sent to military school that I would have let time slip away without accomplishing much. Military school completely altered my thinking. I now put full effort into everything I do and completely believe that I will succeed, no matter