By DMA Sophomore Arianna Gordon

When I started taking this course, I thought I would be learning just general strategies about different aspects of a teenager’s life. Instead, I have been learning tips that you can easily do and are more important to improving your quality in life than you realize. For instance, meditation. I have heard about meditation many times in the past, even from my close family members, but never really put interest into it. Now that I have actually practiced it a couple times in class, I can say that it helps me relax a bit and takes my mind off of everything that is going on for 5 to 10 minutes, especially on stressful days. Another topic that I found value in was writing in a gratitude journal. Sometimes I tend to worry or complain about small things that are irrelevant compared to what is really important in life. We can easily lose track of the great things that we have that are right in front of us. I would recommend this class to all DMA cadets because it is nice to have a class in your schedule that is different from other classes where you can take a mental pause in your day and disconnect from schoolwork, but at the same time, learn how to be a better version of yourself and live a better life.