Gandhi once said, "Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." In order to be successful in the twenty-first century, one must have an extensive education. High school is where learning transcends from the simplicity of education to the demands of pursuing higher degrees. The fundamentals of a high school classroom that personally help me to successfully pursue my higher educational goals are a calm social and physical environment, a welcoming teacher with affective lesson strategies, and a positive approach to learning.

Having a comfortable social and physical environment in my classroom is vital to my success. The social genre of my peers in my class must have a positive influence on my outlook on learning. If I am in a class full of enthusiastic students, I am more likely to work harder to achieve respectable grades and compete with...