Please present yourself. (Name, age, school, achievements etc.)
My name is John Yfantis and I have recently turned 18 years old. I’m a senior high student in Athens College though in the past I was accepted to other public schools. Some of my achievements come to mind, however, the one I am most proud of is the distinction I was attributed at a national literary competition. The one I consider though to be the most important of all is the fact that I have managed to strive through most of the difficulties that have come up to fulfill my aspirations.
- How is your daily study routine in this school? I mean do you struggle sometimes trying to find time and do all of your activities? Is your schedule tight?
My schedule has been the tightest of schedules I’ve ever had as a student. As you probably might expect, high school is not exactly an easy experience for those who have an objective in their mind. Between school and afternoon classes, spare time constitutes a valuable and rare commodity and I feel obliged to say that as I grow up I have gradually begun to realize the significance of prioritization. That means I’ve taken a break from activities and extracurriculars this year. Nonetheless, up until my last year of high school, I might have overdone it with activities so much that, at one point, I had to lose some of them in order to maintain the results I desired in my academic life.
3. How do you manage to keep on to this routine without drowning?
The short answer: I am drowning. However, the thing is that I recognize my goal. And what I have sacrificed to achieve it -we need to do this sometimes in our life- not all times are easy but that doesn’t necessarily mean there are sad times as well. The last year of senior high is stressful and consuming but I have discovered that freeing some of your time to enjoy some of your personal preferences might be the trick. Music and cinema have really helped maintain my sanity and remember that life is not only books and school.
4. You have received a scholarship at the school you attend. How did you decide to take this action and why?
I had long wished to change schools due to some social struggles during my secondary school years. I wanted, however, to go to a school that would offer me the option of numerous extracurriculars. And that is how a private school came to mind. I researched and found that the school most fitting to my multifaceted interests was “Athens College”. The problem was that I was not able to pay the tuition fees. So, after passing their entrance exams I applied for a scholarship. And based on some criteria, such as grades, extracurriculars, community involvement and an interview I was granted one. The fact is that a significant number of Athens College students receive some kind of financial aid. That may differ for everyone but you can receive one for merit, athletics, financial need, art etc.
5.How is your school life in such a good school as this?
Absolutely amazing. As simple as that. I mean everything in life has its ups and downs, but I could say that it really has helped me unfold my personality. I’ve met great people there and if COVID hadn’t happened I would’ve been able to meet a lot more.
6. What is your favorite subject and why? What do you find interesting about it?
That is a trick question, honestly. That is because my favorite subject generally is literature since it represents life itself. And as a person, who is in love with life, it is only right to be in love with poetry and literature. However, I find that literature has a certain quintessence that exceeds the walls of a classroom. For that reason I would say that I’m also passionate about mathematics. Or, probably physics. Or, even better, both. The thing is, even though they are separate, they are intertwined. Most of the beautiful theoretical mathematical approaches could not have been invented if it wasn’t for the challenges physics posed. Maths is the language of the universe as they say and who wouldn’t want to “speak” that? Physics, on the other hand, is the universe. You can’t have one without the other.
7. You’ve taken part in a lot of competitions and so far you have achieved a lot of good places? What drives you to take part in all these competitions? How is the process?
Of course, competitions have been one of the most crucial parts of my academic life so far. What motivates me is the fact that every competition is a unique experience. From advanced mathematics to debating and creative writing, each competition has something to offer to you. The thing with competitions is that they help you learn how to apply the knowledge you have accumulated so far. And the purpose of knowledge is exactly that. It’s no use if you just know things without being able to apply them in real life circumstances.
8. This year you are also sitting for the National University Exams. Do you have anxiety and if so, how do you manage it? What do you want to achieve through this process? How do you imagine your future? What do you want to study?
The National University Exams are hard. I’ll put it as simply as that. Anxiety is inevitable but as you progress through the year you accept that all depends on how hard you work. The stress you might have at the time of the actual time will only have a small percentage if you end up with an undesirable result. The anxiety revolves more around whether what you are doing in order to prepare is enough and not so much on what will happen that day. I hope that my future entails my happiness, nothing less and nothing more. If that means a family and a 9-5 job then so be it. If it means being one of the most recognisable engineers then I would not have a problem with it as well. As long as I get to explore the world, meet people and learn new things I will be happy.
9. What advice would you give to all these younger students about their school future?
Two things. Both are equally important in my opinion. First things first, ‘sapere aude’ as Horace once wrote. A teacher once told me to dare to think. The worst course of action in our school life would be to take everything we are being told as true. Reasoning and critical thinking are key to being a student and not a follower. And the other piece of advice, the one which I always keep in mind, comes from a favorite song of mine. Ray Davies of the Kinks wrote in ‘Celluloid Heroes’ that “success comes hand-in-hand with failure”. That means that no matter how successful someone is they have always failed at some point in their life, and vice versa. Don’t be afraid to think and don’t be afraid to fail.
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