I was in the fifth grade at Barnett Shoals Elementary School, a small elementary school in Athens, Georgia. My best friend was Alexis. We’ve been friends since third grade, and we became very close.
I didn’t have that much when I was a kid. Even though she was my friend, I wanted her purse because I didn’t have one. I wanted to fit in with the rest of my friends. I decided to steal her purse and cut it to make it seem like it wasn’t hers.
I knew as soon as I had taken it that I had done the wrong thing. Some people make bad decisions before thinking it through which makes things complicated. Once they do something wrong, they get in trouble and should learn not to do it again. There are consequences for every bad action. When I went back to school, she found out that I stole her purse, and she did not want to be my friend anymore. I was sad because I lost my best friend over something I had done.
A couple of weeks later we weren’t talking which really frustrated me. As soon as I saw her, I started crying. After class the teacher made us talk; I had apologized to her, and we became friends again. My teacher helped me get my best friend back, and explained to me not to steal from others. Although I had did something very bad, my best friend forgave me because of how close we were. I’ve learned not to take anything if its not mines without asking permission. It can cause many problems and can get you in jail. I decided to make a choice to not steal from others.
Some people learn from doing things multiple times like I do. I have several different techniques that I use in order to learn something or not to do bad things. I learn by reviewing the material multiple times. Sometimes I write it down in order to remember it. My best way of learning is by being in a quiet comfortable zone. Sometimes I have snacks around me just in case I need a break. There are certain tools I need to help me learn as well like note cards. I can concentrate and focus on learning when I do these things. Sometimes it takes courage and determination to understand something. And, like my earlier story, sometimes you can learn lessons on your own, but it doesn’t hurt to have someone (like my teacher) who can help guide you if you reach a place where you feel “stuck”. If you need time to study in an ideal environment, there are places for that at school. You can study in the teachers’ lounge, the library, or in a computer lab. It doesn’t matter if you learn by doing something bad or by simply studying it. There is a way of learning something and experiencing good habits.