Our teenagers in Albert Lea High School are putting out more potential and hard work than we are credited for. My generation has its ups and downs for students, but we do have a lot of overachievers and plenty of multitasking students who manage to keep up a 4.0 grade-point average.

I know a lot of my fellow students are getting put down by the adults who think all we care about is sex, drinking and drugs. Is that really true? I don’t think so. Here are a few things a lot of our students do that you don’t even realize.

We have school. We have to sit all day and try to comprehend everything the teachers say and are expected to remember it.

A lot of us have jobs. After school we have to work, maybe until 11 p.m.

We have homework. After school or after work we have to try and remember what the teachers taught us and do it.

We have tests. With tests comes studying. With studying come books. With books comes late nights with little sleep.

We have limited sleep. With a job, school, homework and study time, when do you have time?

Some have extracurricular activities to top it all off.

I know a lot of people who say cut back, but when you need the money, need the good grades and extra stuff to get into a good college and need to study, what can you honestly cut back on? I understand that not all adults think this way, but I also know a lot who do. All I am saying is give us a little more credit then you are. We are better then you think. Try looking at the majority of the students who can do instead of the few students who don’t do and base our generation off of that.

Sarah Hoverson

Albert Lea High School

English class

Albert Lea