In the past few months, since graduating high school, I have experienced many things that have made me come to new realizations. Some were not so easy to come by, while others slapped me in the face right after I walked across the stage. Here are eight things I have learned in the past five months:

1. You most likely will not remain friends with the same people with whom you graduated.

Since graduating high school, I have only kept in contact with one of my fellow classmates. Depending on the size of your school, that may not seem out of the ordinary. But my graduating class consisted of over 500 people and, let’s face it, that’s a lot of people to “forget about” at the drop of a hat. Interestingly, as the past few months have come and gone, new people have quickly entered my life replacing ones from the past.

2. You should strive not to put too much stock into what others think.

Coming to this realization can be a long and difficult process; however, I have learned that often times the things we do to impress people remain unnoticed. So act how you please if that makes you happy.

3. Mom is always right.

Whether it was about the boy or your best friend, she always knew what the right thing to do or say was. Trust her, she has been through what you’re experiencing and is the only person who truly has your best interest at heart.

4. Life tends to change quickly and all at once.

Once graduating, you are thrown into a whole different scene. You just need to be ready to dive right in and try to adjust the best you can.

5. Teachers will be different.

The teachers you will have after high school will be much different. They will be more experienced and teach more rigorous material, but they have your best interest at heart. Which may mean that unlike high school, they will not be buddy buddy with you.

6. Mental health is top priority.

This one took me a lot longer to realize than it should have. If your mental health is suffering, because of your habits or lifestyle, then it may be time to put some things on the back burner. Certain aspects of your life can wait while you take time to get better.

7. Your voice matters.

As young people, we are taught to sit down and shut up, but that is not how it should be. Our voices are important and deserve to be heard. After all, we will be running this place someday.

8. You cannot please everyone.

While you may want to please everyone, it is way too strenuous and taxing to do all the time. If you are making yourself and the people that matter most happy, then you are doing perfectly fine.