Arnav Kheni - Week 14 - A Life of Fun

 When I was growing up as a kid, one of the most common things that adults told me back then was “you are not going to have as much free time once you are in high school, so I should appreciate being able to have fun right now.” And they were not wrong. Looking back on the memories of the homework I had back as a kid, or even as a middle schooler, I had nowhere near as much homework as I have now. The ThreePennyPress has said that according to the Washington Post, students only spend about 2.7 hours on homework every weeknight. But the ThreePennyPress also found that in some high schools, such as Bellaire High School, that amount increases by up to three times. And if the average was just restricted to students with AP Students, that number would likely get higher. To be able to spend an entire day playing outside, afternoon to night, is practically infeasible. And with pressure to have extracurricular activities, that free time decreases even further, except for those who passionately love their hobby/work.


https://vsamerica.com/blog/why-free-time-and-space-should-be-educational-priority

Now do I have any regrets? Do I feel like I wasted numerous opportunities for fun, and now I have nothing to look back on? In some sense, yes. If I had to think of one defining moment in my childhood that brought me any joy, I cannot think of any. That is not to say I did not have any fun, it is simply a combination of my lack of memory and not having a quintessential moment that both brought me joy and partially defined me for who I am today. Simply put, nothing had brought me enough joy to actually stand the test of time. So rather than regretting the past and the way in which I could have spent my free time back then, I can focus that energy into finding things that bring me happiness now. And soon enough, I will become an adult. With a higher level of consciousness and a deeper intellectual capacity, our lives as adults are to be filled with further opportunities in which we can create happy memories…memories that are just as impactful and important as the ones we had as kids.


https://threepennypress.org/features/2022/01/09/homework-hours/

Comments

  1. James ChanApril 5, 2025 at 11:00 AM

    Arnav, your post makes me regret my life decisions. Reading this post made me question what I’m doing with my life, such that I’m regretting taking AP classes and not spending more time on fun extracurriculars. I too can barely remember significant moments in my childhood.
    Like you, I had few “quintessential” moments, and I can barely recall them. However, I still remember being happy as a kid, enjoying the little moments that made life pleasurable. I know I always found little things in life to keep me happy.
    I think the most important thing in our lives is finding those little moments that make us happy. As a kid, I found joy in the simplest of things, such as admiring a bug on a windowsill. Now, even as we feel pressured by homework and life in general, I think it’s important to take moments to appreciate the beauty of the little things.

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  2. Neev TamboliApril 8, 2025 at 12:01 AM

    Hey Arnav, this definitely made me feel like maybe we get too wrapped up in our academic lives that we forget about the bigger picture. At the end of the day, this is our life, and what we do now is what we're going to tell our kids and grandkids about what the good ol' days were for us. I feel like that definitely makes me reconsider everything I prioritize, but hey at the end of the day we all know we're still going to keep grinding, keep prioritizing our stats and extracurriculars in hope for good college results... But just that subconscious knowledge that we are more than our grades or college results is a fresh breath of change

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  3. Julia WanApril 9, 2025 at 9:57 PM

    Hi Arnav, this reflection was so honest and thoughtful, and I like how you acknowledge both nostalgia for the free time and carelessness we have in childhood as well as the reality of growing up with increasing responsibilities. I appreciate the reminder that we should focus on the present and continue to do things that we enjoy rather than be wrapped up in all that we have going on like academics and other responsibilities. Adulthood does offer us different but equally meaningful opportunities to make memories and experience joy, even if it comes with an additional amount of responsibility than it did in childhood. Your perspective is hopeful and is a reminder for me to enjoy the little things while also focusing on my responsibilities and goals. Thanks for sharing!

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