After 12 years of public school, and four of those years spent in high school, I have learned a lot. Academically speaking, I have covered everything from writing my name to doing complex calculus problems. However, what I really learned was possibly more important than the academics, it was what I learned about life. Specifically in high school. Reflecting on my high school experience, I compiled a list of the six most important things I have come to learn in that span:

1. Everyone has an agenda. Teachers, administrators, peers, even your parents, all have goals for themselves and for you. This can be a good thing (in the case of a caring teacher whose main goal is to provide you with the knowledge necessary to see you succeed), but it can be a negative, too, when peers use you as a step for climbing up that exclusive high school social ladder.
   
   Just as you as an individual have personal goals that involve other people to achieve them, you are involved in the same paradox with you as a stepping stone to someone else. This shouldn't be anything to be shocked or offended by—we all live intertwined with one another in order to get where we need.
   
2. Don’t ever allow other people to intimidate you. We are all human and no one should be able to make you feel less than they are due to made-up social status or hierarchy. The popularity complex of high school may seem like a hurdle to overcome for many, but after those four years the construct that caused so much turmoil dissipates.
   
   Instead of trying so hard to fit in with a crowd that will be forgotten about after four years, focus your energy on forming yourself into someone that you can be proud of. Being able to be proud of how you treat others and feeling good about yourself is much better for your mental and physical health than being able to say you were popular in high school.
   
3. Try new things and take advantage of opportunities. You have the time in high school to take classes outside of your comfort zone and find your true passions...while classes are still free. Do as much as you can without overwhelming yourself. It is better to figure out the things you enjoy and the things you’re good at earlier than later: Join clubs that pique your interests; take an art class, a finance class, or a shop class; go on mission trips; go to conventions; do anything to spark a passion inside. Not only will it help you decide on a career path, it will create lasting memories.
   
4. Save your money. This may be the hardest thing to face in high school, but graduating with very little money in my savings account is one of my only regrets. As important as the latest trends may seem, consider your purchases before you splurge. Try to stay away from impulse buying because, in the end, the little things add up––and come back to bite.
   
   Prom and homecoming dresses from exclusive boutiques might seem enticing, but borrowed dresses from friends and family look just as good (and the cost looks even better). Having an extra grand in your savings account will be way more rewarding than that $700 dollar prom dress and the $300 dollars you spend on makeup, hair, shoes and a limo.
   
   
5. Although saving money is important, it shouldn't steer you away from enjoying the high school experience. Go to every football game, every dance, every picnic and sunrise––in the end you only get these opportunities once in your life. As lame as it may seem in the present moment, in the future you will regret missing out on these experiences later in life 100 times more than you could ever regret experiencing them.
   
   
6. Possibly the most important thing I have learned is to appreciate all kinds of people and all opinions. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and has their own thing to deal with. Every race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality making up your community creates diversity and interest. By limiting yourself to only certain facets, you're limiting your own experiences and possibilities. Don’t deny yourself insight out of fear of judgement, instead try being open to everyone and everything––it will pay off immensely.

High school can be the best of times, and the worst of times. Remember to take everything as a learning experience. Make mistakes and learn from them. What will be memorable after those four years won't be your small failures, only your great triumphs.