We have spent the last four years reading textbooks, taking tests, and arguing with our teachers and peers. But what have we really learned? Not so much. The things most of us have learned since high school are how to memorize answers long enough to pass a test, how to use a calculator, how to navigate SparkNotes, and which teachers will give extensions on projects. For the most part, we haven't taken the initiative to figure out much on our own. Many of us expect to be given the skills needed to make it on our own: creativity, compassion, innovation, independence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay But here's the thing: No one can just give us these things. In the last four years – and in our entire lives, for that matter – we have practically been handed everything. We are promised that if we do all our homework and do our best, we can one day become rock stars, astronauts, or presidents. We've been encouraged to dream big, but we haven't yet put into perspective how much work it takes and how unlikely it is that all our dreams will come true. The truth is that we are not all special little snowflakes, different from everyone else; we are more like drops of water in a huge sea of ​​humanity, indistinguishable in the eyes of the masses. Our dreams are no exception to reality and the world will not work for us simply because we are “special”. These individualistic American values ​​served us well when we were children with big dreams, but we used them to justify unrealistic expectations; they have been a disservice to us in this way. When we cross this stage, we leave the refuge of big high school dreams for the reality of hard work in the real world. Realistically, we probably won't see any rock stars, actors, or NFL players at our class reunion. But that doesn't mean we can't succeed; it means we may have to rethink our definition of success. As Albert Einstein once said: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value.” The value he talked about is not monetary, but the personal fulfillment that comes from adding something positive to society. Don't seek wealth exclusively; seek opportunities to do good for others. Simply by attending high school, we are more educated than most of the world's population. Simply by living in this country, we are richer and luckier than billions of people. We will encounter difficulties in our adult lives, but in the grand scheme of things we will always be incredibly lucky. We are better equipped to help the less fortunate than people in any other society; Why let it go to waste? We can assist people without money for food or without a place to live, both in our nation and in others. And we should. By serving others and improving our society, we make meaningful use of our time and resources. By doing good, we find value for ourselves. This is true success. I'm not saying we need to start nonprofits or personally feed all the starving children in Africa; it's simply unrealistic. But there is absolutely nothing stopping us from improving our surroundings. As cliché as it may sound, little things really make a difference: brightening someone's day, putting a dollar in the donation box for cancer research, dedicating a little free time to volunteer. These small steps pave the way for changes and improvements) ,.