High school is filled with ups and downs. However, if you pay attention, you might learn some incredibly valuable lessons that will last with you long into adulthood. Here is a list of some of the main takeaways from High School which have continued to help and shape my life.
1. Friends are temporary.
You may think that someone is always going to be there and that they will never leave, but there's a good chance that they will. You'll go through numerous cycles of friends. It will break your heart to see them go, but just know it isn't the end of the world. You'll meet new people who are better for you, and have friends fit for every stage of your life.
2. Sometimes not caring is the best way to care for yourself.
There has so be a time where you can cut yourself some slack. Your disappointments do not have to be such. Pressure created by yourself does not have to exist. It is in your best interest to stop caring so much about perfection. After all, it doesn't exist.
3. It's okay to ask for help.
Whether it is with school or personal issues, it is okay to reach out. The people around you can be your best resources. Counselors and teachers really are there with your best interest at heart. Find a staff member of your school that you can trust. It helps more than anything to have an adult to guide you and offer advice, especially if you aren't close with your parents/guardians.
4. Don't be afraid of what others think.
It is your time to be who you are. Do not base your choices on how people will perceive you. Wear what you want, have your hair how you want, live how you want. If you are confident and happy with your choices, no one will be able to tear you down. Do not let others dictate your life.
5. Don't be afraid to put yourself first.
Helping others is a good thing, but only to an extent. If you spend most of your time and energy trying to help your friends, you will end up neglecting yourself. You have to be able to tell yourself that you come first. They are your friends, but you're the only one that will always be there for yourself.
6. Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind.
If you feel a certain way or believe in something, let your voice be heard. Do not be afraid to tell people what you want to. You've only got one life and sometimes you've only got one shot, so, take it. What you don't want is to have regrets. Stop being so scared to say what's on your mind.
7. Stop waiting for Fridays.
Pushing yourself though the week is not a good way to go through your high school days. You have a lot less time there than you think and, whether you know it or not, you will miss it. Every day should be a day to enjoy, not something to get through. Have fun on weekdays and make it so you don't have to wait until the weekend to be happy.
8. Do not give up.
Some days you will have no motivation to get out of bed; no will to write or sit in the same plastic chairs, but you will. Keep pushing yourself to get through times where everything is just gray. When things get better you will be proud of all the progress you made. It is difficult to get through. Today might be a pointless kind of day, but keep doing what you have to. You will make it and you will be happy to say you did.
9. Surround yourself with people who benefit you.
If you find yourself stuck in a one-sided friendship or relationship where you feel that you give constantly, but the other person is the only one getting anything out of it, don't be afraid to cut them loose. If you keep someone in your life just to make them happy, you will end up miserable. There is no reason to sacrifice how you want to live your life to spare someone else's feelings.
10. You will make it.
Although it may seem like forever, and that the weight of the world is on your shoulders, you will get through it. There will be days where giving up seems like the only option, but the next morning you realize that you can take on the world. If high school has taught me anything, it is that we are a lot tougher than we think.
