I just finished my first year of high school, and it has been pretty eventful, if I say so myself. As I have mentioned in a couple of my previous articles, high school has brought me so many different experiences. Some I am grateful for, yet some have not been beneficial. However, all of them have taught me so many different things, and I would not have been able to survive my first year of high school without them. This is also some advice for rising high-schoolers and people already in high school.

The things I have learned have been so helpful to me and can also relate to things outside of school. Here are four things I have learned in my first year of high school.

1. You have to study to pass classes.

This is something that some students don't realize. Some people just think that they can not study and get an A on every test, but that is not how it works. Although, I do understand that people have different meanings of "failing" that doesn't mean that you do not try. My parents have always told me that as long as I do my best, no matter what grade I get, they will still be proud of me.

In my vision, I fail when I do not do my best to succeed. High school is hard, and studying has helped me make better grades in a lot of my classes. Sometimes, it's hard for people to retain information, and if that happens, they have to find a way to retain the information. There are certain study and learning methods that can work better for different people. That is how I was able to retain information when studying. It is also very beneficial if you study for about 15 minutes every night because it helps with memorization.

2. Teachers sometimes don't teach.

This is one thing that really gets on my nerves because when teachers don't teach, it means they are not doing their job. If you have had any teachers that don't teach, you will know what I mean. Personally, I had a pretty good selection of teachers this year, but there were one or two that made the students find their own information instead of teaching it. That bothered me because while we found that information ourselves, the teacher just sat at their desk. Because of this and other ways that teachers may not teach, students may need to teach themselves the information. Sometimes, people need to find other resources to get their information from, and that is totally OK. This only means that you are doing your best to succeed.

3. Don't get involved in drama.

I have talked about this generally in a previous article of mine, but right now, I am going to impart this good advice again. This year, I have experienced some true high school drama. Drama is something that can easily distract you from school. It gives you something else to focus on that doesn't deserve your focus or attention. So when drama occurs, steer clear of the roller coaster ride.

4. Find out who your true friends are.

High school is when you really find your friend group for the next four years. I have found my best friends this past year, but I have also found people who are not my true friends, and my friends have experienced the same thing.

True friends are friends that you can tell everything to and they will not tell anyone else without your permission. They are also there whenever you need them, whether that is to rant or you just need a shoulder to cry on. These true friends are the ones that I hope to keep in touch with for the rest of my life because they are amazing. When you find your true friends, stick with them. The thing about friends is: quality over quantity, which is something you may have heard other people say, but I truly believe that. It doesn't matter how many friends you have, but it matters who you can trust and talk to.

To be honest, high school is not easy, but everyone can get through it. At the beginning of the school year, I wasn't prepared for everything that was going to be thrown at me, but I got through it. As I got through it, I learned more than just this. I have learned so much during my first year of high school, and I am sure that I am going to learn a lot more.