Short story) Mastering Risk: A High School Investor’s Journey Through 7 Challenges

<Mastering Risk: A High School Investor’s Journey Through 7 Challenges>

 

Hey everyone! My name’s Jason Stockman, and I’m a senior in high school. Today, I want to tell you about the crazy journey that changed my life — and the seven challenges I faced along the way as I dove into the world of investing. Buckle up!

 

Challenge 1: The Knowledge Wall

The first challenge? A complete lack of investing knowledge. When I started, words like P/E ratio, EBITDA, and beta coefficient felt like some alien language. It was overwhelming.

The hardest part was learning technical analysis. When I first saw candlestick charts, I thought, "Are we studying sushi rolls here?" It was that confusing.

I’d stay up late every night, trying to make sense of it all, but I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. One night, I even slammed my head on my desk and nearly gave up.

"Risk, I can’t do this anymore. None of it makes sense. I’m done."

But Risk — who I started calling my inner guide — whispered back,

"Jason, everyone starts somewhere. Let’s break it down, one piece at a time. Start with the basics. You’ve got this."

So, every night, I hit the library. Stocks, bonds, derivatives — I tackled them one by one. Risk even helped me come up with crazy mnemonics to remember stuff. "CAPM? Just think ‘Cats Are Pretty Meow.’ That’s Capital Asset Pricing Model!"

After a month, I could finally read a chart and understand it. The day I recognized an ascending triangle pattern on my own, I felt like a codebreaker.

"Risk, is that a bullish triangle pattern?" I asked. The grin Risk gave me? Unforgettable.

 

Challenge 2: The First Investment Flop

My second challenge came with my first disastrous investment. After a month of studying, I put all my knowledge to the test and picked what I thought was a sure bet: a high-tech EV battery company.

"Risk, this company is it. Electric cars are blowing up! Their stock’s gonna go through the roof!"

The night before investing, I couldn’t sleep. The excitement kept me up, refreshing my trading app like a maniac. But the day after I invested, disaster struck — the company announced a massive battery recall.

Watching the stock plummet in real-time was like a punch to the gut. Every five minutes, the price dropped, and by lunchtime, I’d lost half my investment. I spent the rest of the day running back and forth to the bathroom, feeling sick.

"Risk, we’re done. I blew it. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this." Tears welled up in my eyes.

Risk was calm, though.

"Jason, this is just part of the game. Remember what we learned? Diversification is key. Learn from this, and let’s move forward."

We revamped my portfolio. No more putting everything into one stock. We diversified — IT, biotech, energy, finance. My portfolio started looking like a rainbow with all those sectors.

 

Challenge 3: Friends’ Mockery

The third challenge? Getting clowned by my friends. Word spread fast at school about my massive loss.

One day at lunch, I was in line when I overheard people whispering,

"Yo, there’s Stockman. How much did he lose?"

"Five hundred bucks? Maybe a grand?"

"Nah, probably more like five grand. Poor guy’s gonna need to borrow lunch money soon! Haha!"

It felt like I had "loser" stamped on my forehead. I didn’t even finish lunch — I ran to the bathroom and broke down.

"Risk, maybe I should just quit school. I can’t handle the embarrassment. Maybe transferring schools is the answer."

After school, I spent hours in the library, hiding and studying. Then one day, a group of kids found us.

"Whoa, look at the big-time investors! Hey, can you pick us some winning stocks? Oh wait, you’re broke, right? Haha!"

Risk squeezed my hand.

"Jason, you’re already ahead. The people who fail are the ones who haven’t even tried yet. Stay strong. One day, they’ll come to you for advice."

That night, I decided to turn their mockery into motivation. The next time they laughed, I fired back,

"Wait till you see me succeed!" I could tell by their shocked faces that they were thrown off.

 

Challenge 4: Family Resistance

The fourth challenge was family pushback. One night, my dad barged into my room, his face serious.

"Jason, I saw your grades. You’re failing almost everything! What have you been doing all semester?"

"Dad, I’ve been studying investments. It’s for my future."

"Investing? No way! You’re still a kid. Focus on school, not the stock market! Quit this nonsense right now!"

My dad’s yelling shook the whole house. My mom rushed in.

"Jason, investing is dangerous. I’ve seen people lose everything. Please, for your sake, stop this now."

I felt crushed. How could they not see how important this was to me?

"Why don’t you understand my dream? This is what I want!"

I cried my eyes out that night and called Risk.

"Risk, what should I do? My parents will never let me continue."

Risk, always with the solution, said,

"Jason, let’s show them what you’ve learned. Let’s put together a presentation and explain why investing is valuable. Convince them with facts."

We stayed up all night building a PowerPoint. I outlined everything — the importance of investing, what I’d learned, and my plan for the future. We even rehearsed for the questions they’d throw at me.

That weekend, I presented it to my parents. My voice shook, but I laid it all out.

"Mom, Dad, this is what I’ve been doing, and I’m serious about it."

By the end, their faces softened.

"Alright, Jason," Dad said. "You can keep doing this, but your grades have to come up. Deal?"

It wasn’t total victory, but it was progress. That night, I felt like I was flying as I chatted with Risk until I fell asleep.

 

Challenge 5: The Market’s Unpredictability

The next challenge? The market’s sheer unpredictability. No matter how much I studied or planned, the market had a mind of its own.

One morning, I checked my stocks, and the ones I thought were winners had tanked overnight. Global issues, political drama, and even natural disasters had thrown the market off course.

"Risk, this isn’t fair! I did everything right, but the market still betrayed me!" I fumed.

Risk just smiled and said,

"Jason, markets are unpredictable. But we’ve learned risk management, haven’t we? It’s not about predicting every move but about being ready to adapt."

From that point, I focused on scenario planning — how to handle gains and losses, no matter what the market threw at me. I was no longer just reacting; I was preparing like a general in battle.

 

Challenge 6: Emotional Rollercoaster

The sixth challenge was the emotional ups and downs. One day, I was on top of the world because my stocks were soaring. The next, I was crashing as they plummeted. It was an emotional rollercoaster.

After one huge win, I bragged to my friends,

"See? I told you I’d make it!" But when those same stocks nosedived a week later, I felt embarrassed and stayed quiet the whole day.

"Risk, I can’t handle these emotional swings. It’s exhausting."

Risk nodded.

"Investing isn’t about emotions. It’s about logic. Keep track of your feelings, but don’t let them drive your decisions."

From then on, I started journaling my emotions and analyzing them, keeping my head clear and my focus sharp.

 

Challenge 7: The Art of Patience

The final challenge was learning patience. Investing isn’t about getting rich overnight — it’s a long game. Early on, I wanted quick results, but that’s not how the market works.

Risk once told me,

"A real investor knows how to wait. Don’t get distracted by short-term losses. Think long term."

So, I slowed down. Instead of chasing fast money, I set long-term goals and stuck to them. It was like planting a seed and waiting for it to grow.

Months later, some of the stocks I had picked started to rise again, and I realized: patience pays off.

"This is it, Risk. The wait was worth it."

Through these seven challenges, I grew not just as an investor but as a person. Success wasn’t just about the money. It was about the lessons learned through failure, persistence, and patience.

"Risk," I said one day, smiling, "I think I’ve got this now. Thanks for being there."

And with that, I stepped confidently into the world of investing, ready for whatever came next.

I hope this story inspires you to take control of your own risks and challenges. Keep going, and success will follow!

 

 

#ref.:

https://sosohantry.tistory.com/entry/Book-%ED%88%AC%EC%9E%90%EC%97%90-%EB%8C%80%ED%95%9C-%EC%83%9D%EA%B0%81-%EB%A6%AC%EC%8A%A4%ED%81%AC%EB%A5%BC-%EC%A0%9C%EC%96%B4%ED%95%98%EB%9D%BC

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