Competition: rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.

In high school, competition is everywhere; it follows you throughout your life and is unavoidable. There’s competition between friends, academics, sports, popularity, and in jobs, just to name a few. No matter where you are or how old you are, there is competition in your life. The real question is, will you suck it up and let competition drive you to thrive, or will you fold under the pressure?

Being a junior and an athlete, I have witnessed enough competition to drive a person crazy. Instead of letting competition control me, I would rather take control and make competition push me to do better.

For me, junior year is a ton of testing, and trying to decide the fate of the rest of my life. The testing, from my personal experience, isn’t as bad as everyone makes it out to be. But on the other hand, the pressure of picking a college and trying to decide what I’m going to major in is the most stressful decision of my life.

These days, getting into a good school is harder than ever before. Schools not only look at your grades but your test scores as well. The competition to get into a certain college or pursue a career should push you to your limits. If you are passionate about something and want to be the best, why not work your hardest to become the best?

Finding out that our school is also cutting out valedictorian in the near future was a little disappointing. There are so many people in FHC who thrive academically and have worked their hardest in AP and Honors classes. And to be honest, it’s a sad to hear that some kids can’t handle being put under others.

Some think “you should be having more fun in high school, exploring things because you want to explore them and learning because you love learning-not worrying about competition,” said Maya Lin, American designer.

While I agree that students should have fun, I do not see the problem with a little competition here and there.

Another thing that requires a lot of competition is athletics. Back in the day, people participated in sports to have fun or get their daily dose of physical activity. Now students don’t only participate in sports for pure joy, but in hopes that it can lead to a career, or help them receive a scholarship. There are clubs for sports that will rank you based on your skill level. The higher you are ranked, the harder the competition. Sometimes this form of competition is not always good. The competition between school teams drives the two schools’ social lives further and further apart. When your friend plays on a different team and your team beats theirs, it can create an unnecessary tension that can last for weeks. This type of competition can be unhealthy in the social health of the community