Benefits and Doubts of a Lifer

I can't dive into other people's minds, but I imagine what they might see. The thought of being a lifer at Catlin would likely bring enchanting images into peoples minds, through its years of joy and friendship, it isn't only that. Memories are messy and beautiful, 9 years of being at Catlin gives a lot of room for them. They are simple and complex, from the disturbing singing of preschoolers to fourth grade, watching my two best friends wrap themselves in caution tape for a photoshoot. It took years for me to get there, and years for me to arrive here. In 10 years I know I will look back on this age and wonder how I thought, thinking of my past self and how I was different. I know I will think and see a different image of myself than everyone else does because that is my mind, my experience, my point of view. That's the downfall of being a lifer, there is no fresh start, there was no switching to schools where nobody knew my history, who I have been and how I have changed. Reputations stick with us, as they do from the first 7 seconds, the average amount of time it takes to get a first impression of someone, according to several sources linked below. So although being a lifer is filled with joy and time for the strengthening of friendships, it is also full of cons. Regardless of the stress and lack of immediate connection, someone who would come into our class years after they shed their old traits, would have a no cage, called a past. The years of connection though, are also benefits, and I wonder if I would have the friends I have now if I had come to this school a moment later. Being a lifer can allow time to find move through friendships, as hard as it can be. Having a part in the community since day one can also allow for an advantage in the academic field since you have had years to learn how the school works, and you are on the same learning course as you always have been. Experience in other schools can be helpful academically as well though and can allow for a chance to expand a friend group when switching to another. That chance, having friends inside of school and outside of school, can be exciting and grant a wider range of people in your life. In the topic of other schools academic and social convenience when switching, I have found that academic advantage doesn't play in as much as social change. Change as well happens academically though, you could be hearing about a project previous students had completed, and when you reach their point that opportunity goes away. Take for example FAME, which went from movies to wheels. That sudden difference will change a path you predicted to be on, which has both its pros and cons. In the end, I think I would change my past if I had the chance, I would have rather had time at another school, before coming to Catlin. I would want this because it would grant me the benefit of having a new reputation, new friends as well as old from in and out of school, and a little more difference in my life, as well as view.

Sources...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_impression_(psychology)

http://www.executive-impressions.com/blog/not-waste-7-seconds-first-impression

https://www.businessinsider.com/only-7-seconds-to-make-first-impression-2013-4