It is inevitable that everyone's high school experience will be different. For most people, high school is about having fun and enjoying their later years before being forced out into the cold, dark world. But for others, it is about expanding their knowledge potential and acquiring skills to fight everyday battles. My high school adventure was a mix of both. My general physics teacher used to make my classmates stand up and I would get up as soon as he entered the room. Every morning he would tell us, “Remember, kids, the reason I put you up is to show respect to the person better than you. » He acted as if he ruled the world with a flaming spear. My high school journey was filled with terror. I'm from Bedford, Indiana; a small town about the size of a neighborhood. On the first day of my sophomore year, my cousin allowed me to accompany him to what the locals call “the mansion on the hill.” The school had three floors, two above ground and one below. The building itself covered six acres. Athletic fields added four more acres. The previous year ended the three-year construction schedule. Most of the school was brand new. As I walked in, the sight of people running around and the sound of teenagers screaming at the top of their lungs about the new school year made me think we had just walked through the gates of hell. My first year ended badly. I wasn't the worst student, but I wasn't the best either. I was too wrapped up in the new high school experience and let my grades slip. As I headed to my first class, I kept telling myself that this year was going to be different. I was going to concentrate entirely on my homework. My plans were to attend IU school o...... middle of paper ......t which usually consisted of reading an entire chapter and answering questions at the end of each chapter, which had to be delivered the next day. . All of his tests had over a hundred questions with three attempts. It took him three and a half days to complete his exams. As the year went on, the course became even more difficult and he became an even more demanding instructor. Looking back, I'm glad I took the course and I don't think I would change it if I could. It was difficult at the time, but I learned the skills necessary to undertake university studies. His class better prepared me for professors who accept nothing less than the best. I finished my high school physics class with a “B” average. I was horrified by what I had to go through to get that grade, but at the same time, I was glad I took the course. He made me realize that life is a lot like his class, hard and unfair.