Opportunities Expire

We are now ending our second week of school and people are getting situated with their new schedules. For our Juniors, everything is new. They are in a new building, new classes, new teachers and new people who are strangers to many of them. During the first two weeks of school I often have to speak with several students who would like to go back to their home school because they just aren't comfortable around here. They state that they miss the comfort of their home school and they miss their friends. I do understand that thinking. After all, most of our students have been in the same school for 10 years now.  However, what I tell them and what I want any of our students to know is, to just hang in there and within a very short time you will begin to feel comfortable in your new surroundings.

Throughout all my years at Vantage I recall many students thanking me for talking them into staying here at Vantage. The friends they made here are the ones they now hang out with since they graduated. They tell me they really felt like a family while they were here. I don't have any research except my own experience, but I believe that it takes about two weeks to become comfortable in a new setting. That is why I try so hard to have the students push through those two weeks and then see how they are feeling. If you are one of those students who is uncomfortable, I hope you continue to push through those "strange" feelings and make it a goal to see how successful you can become while you are at Vantage.

I read a book this summer by Bob Goff and one of the things he mentioned in the book was that "all opportunities come with expiration dates. If you don't grasp the opportunity in front of you, it's likely going to go away at some point". I believe that all of you new Juniors have some great opportunities in front of you. The sky is the limit to what you can accomplish in your life. Your road to success begins right here at Vantage. Please don't let this opportunity pass you by, you may never get it back.

I truly believe that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. If you are uncomfortable, probably your classmate next to you is also. Talk to them and get to know them. Meet new friends at the lunch table or invite someone sitting alone to sit with you. If you take just a few minutes to talk to a stranger, I believe you may have a friend for life. This is a great choice you made to attend Vantage, use it to fulfill your dreams, but please don't let this opportunity expire.