Going through high school puts the average student on a roller coaster of emotions. High school is a time where your reputation is something you try very hard to keep clean and a time where we are most vulnerable to the thoughts that others have about us. We do not realize, at the time, that the majority of those people we are stuck with will not be in our lives in less than four years. Looking back to who I was in high school and who I am now makes me regret the way that I thought of myself and what others thought about me during my high school career. Here are a couple of things that happen to you once you graduate from high school and move onto the next chapter of your life:

1. You begin to discover who you truly are.

This is the you that you have really always been, but also the you that you have kept tucked away from everyone for fear of being judged. You are no longer constricted to the opinions of your fellow peers and feel the freedom to express the person you are and the opinions that come along with that outstanding human.

2. The opinions of others do not matter.

It doesn't seem like it in high school, but the way that others think about us, should not define who we are. I spent way too much of my time in high school trying to impress people and trying to be comfortable with the person I was. When the day came where I had the freedom to really be myself, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. IF YOU ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE THE YOU THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE THINKS. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE THE WAY THAT YOU ARE.

3. You find out who is meant to stay in your life.

Simply put: you will remove people from your life. Some of these people will be the people you were once closest too. You soon realize that you were only close with some people because of the large amounts of time you were with them in the same building. After college, people change. Some for the better and some for the worst. One of the greatest parts of being out of college is the fact that you get to decide who gets to be in your life.

4. You discover new things and new people.

When you enter the real world, you will be amazed by the amazing people you come across and will be dumbfounded by the fact that you've been missing out so much by not having them in your life, sooner. The people you meet outside of college will be the friends you keep around forever. They will be the beginning of many memories, your shoulder to cry on, and the people that you can always count on. You do not realize it in high school, but there are people in the world that you have not met yet, but will change your life once you meet them.

5. Relationships in high school are usually a joke.

One of my biggest regrets about high school is the fact that I dated. I spent so much of my time focusing on my significant other and letting that significant other effect me emotionally, that I forgot about important things. I missed out on time with my friends, family, and other activities that I can never get back. You think the person you are with in high school is the one you are going to be with forever, but most times, that is simply not the case. Once you're out of high school, you realize how much more is out there and how much time you wasted searching for a relationship in high school. I'm not saying that high school relationships cannot work out, but I am saying that you should not stress out or put in effort with someone that makes you feel less than you are or someone who isn't putting in mutual effort. You will find out that there are so many people out there in the world, even if you don't realize it yet.

6. You get a better grip on handling things.

Slowly but surely, you will learn how to handle all of your life's responsibilities. I'm sure that there was a time in high school where you felt so much was on your plate that you couldn't handle it and you kind of just broke down and cried. It felt like there was no way out. I'm not saying you'll never feel that way again, but I will tell you that you find better ways of coping and dealing with your responsibilites. You learn that stressing over things is a complete waste of time and that there will always be a way to solve any problem you come across. Step by step, things

7. Your mentality is everything.

We are told this from the minute we walk into school, but you never truly realize the truth behind it until you are sent out into the real world. Your mentality really is everything and will aide you through all of the happiness, sadness, anger, and distress you will ever feel. You, and you only, have the power to choose how each and every one of your days is going to go, and that all starts in that precious mind of yours.

8. There are some things that you will miss.

There are some things that you will do in high school that just won't feel the same in college. This could be sports, chorus, band, clubs, or even just being in the high school atmosphere. You will not have anymore sleepovers at your friends, you will not dress up for homecoming or get ready for prom anymore, and you will not get to cheer for your home team the way that you once did. Everything changes and there will be days where you miss some of the events and wish to have them back. This will make you sad at times, but you will also learn that there are more memories to be made in the life you live after your years in high school.