The Seven Deadly Sins of a High School Student

Joey Zhou

It’s the time of the year when we willingly invite monsters into our lives. Thinking about it, we don’t need costumes or decorations. We live with seven deadly sins.

Thousands of years ago, they were considered threatening to the human soul. In our school lives today, they mostly threaten our GPA. Which, honestly, to many, that’s scarier than anything.

I. Pride

The vampire of all sins. It’s opening your textbook the night before a test thinking I’ve got this. Refusing to ask questions because you’re “pretty sure” you understand. Announcing “I didn’t study” to a room of people who didn’t ask.

Pride is believing you can defeat time. The overconfidence says it all.

II. Greed

It’s the kid going door to door with a pillowcase, and not a bag, because a bag has limits. Why join three clubs when you could join seven? Why one leadership title when you can have four? School has become a collecting competition for your résumé, and we all collect extracurriculars and APs like fun-sized candy — convinced the next will finally fill the pillowcase.

Eventually, there are no hours left in the day. Greed lives in the vending machine though, fangs out.

III. Envy

Someone’s costume clearly took weeks of work. I’ve worn the same for years. Higher grades. Bigger awards. More talents. A whole plan for competitions and classes. I’m still trying to remember what homework is due tomorrow.

Envy makes everyone’s reflection look more put-together than yours. We’re comparing our behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight story.

IV. Wrath

The group project partner who’ll “get to it tonight” but never shows. It’s Google Classroom timing out mid-submission, the printer jamming, or pop quizzes on information you never retained.

Rarely anything big, but it’s shockingly easy to believe the universe has personally cursed you.

V. Lust

Forget romance. The true desire of a high school student is freedom. It haunts us. Praying for time to pass faster, the final bell, a sleep without an alarm.

We spend weeks lusting for the next escape, wondering with anguish, just like spirits who can’t remember why they’re still wandering the halls.

VI. Gluttony

It’s the unattended candy bowl with the “just take one” sign. One more candy. One more video, designed by smarter people to ensure it is, in fact, never the last.

We consume everything. Except, conveniently, assignments are still patiently waiting to be gluttony’s true survivor.

VII. Sloth

Sloth is the week-old jack-o’-lantern: caved in, a little moldy, but still sitting out because nobody committed to throwing it out. Later becomes after dinner. Then after another episode. Then tomorrow, which was supposed to be today, and yesterday.

Suddenly, it’s midnight: the lights are off, the candy bowl is empty and the assignment that existed peacefully for two weeks has transformed into a full-blown emergency.

Maybe being a high schooler isn’t countering every sin. Maybe it’s recognizing the monsters before they become personalities.

Or maybe I’ll figure it out tomorrow. Actually … 12:18 AM. Boo.