Now I know this headline might seem familiar. It may even feel like you have read this article before. The truth is you probably have and so have I. The difference here is that I was a committed skeptic to the idea that high school would impact my life in any way. Some people will say these are the best years of your life but I’d disagree and say they are the most fundamental. Yes, I am more than ready to start the next chapter in my life but only because I have novels of lessons to carry with me. From someone just as eager to graduate as you are, here are 10 things I learned in high school.
1. No one hates each other like they say
At my high school, the graduating class of 2018 consists of approximately 70 students. In such a small district, everyone knows everyone and they have for YEARS. Considering we had all been together since middle school, we had a lot of time to get under each other’s skin. When you enter high school you think you’ll never get over your BFF talking behind your back or not getting invited to last weekend’s party. The truth is, at some point in your senior year, you do. You get over it. It is easy to say that you hate everyone and it is even easier to hold a grudge but there is this moment in every teenager’s high school career that proves otherwise. That moment is when you find yourself laughing at a lunch table or dancing at a party surrounded by people who once said they hated each other.
2. Everything has an expiration date
This might be the most obvious of them all but for me, it was the hardest pill to swallow. In our adolescent years, we like to hold onto whatever we can. Whether it be friendships, memories, or relationships they often feel like the only things in our immediate control. In reality, nothing is in our control and everything has an expiration date. Friendships will fade away and relationships don’t last forever. The last months of high school can be difficult if you are trying to hold on so tightly to the things you fear losing. It is a relief to realize that letting go is natural and inevitable. You will enjoy yourself so much more if you learn to appreciate the experiences you had and the people you built them with.
3. Nothing is lame if you do it with friends
When I say nothing, I truly mean absolutely nothing is lame if you’re doing it with friends. We all go through this awkward phase in middle school where everything we used to do becomes boring or immature. Then when we enter high school, we rediscover those simplicities and fall back in love with them. Suddenly, dressing up for Halloween is fun again and nobody questions the group of teenagers racing each other on the go-karts. I know sometimes the stress we’re going through makes us feel like adults but the truth is we aren’t -- not yet anyway and there still is time to be a kid.
4. Don’t schedule anything for a Monday
Why not? Because there is no reason to make Mondays worse. If you can, I suggest avoiding any and all obligations until Tuesday. Some of my worst memories were going to both school and work after a long weekend. Everyone knows Mondays call for pizza dinners and after school naps, nothing more and nothing less.
5. Prom is only as fun as you make it
“The best night of your life” might be a bit of an exaggeration but prom is undoubtedly a staple in everyone’s high school career. As someone who has been to two proms and intends on attending another, I can say it is only as fun as you make it. I can almost guarantee you that the person saying prom was awful sat in the corner with an attitude the entire night. Now if it’s not for you, then it's not for you, but don’t ruin it for everyone else.
6. Taking a day off is necessary
I realized this the first few months of my senior year. I was working seven days a week and juggling three AP classes. Not to mention the ever present anxiety about applying to college. To say I was stressed would be an understatement. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t stretched myself so thin. I wish I took the opportunity to take a day off not just physically from work and school but mentally from the stress I was inflicting on myself. Soon I realized I was burning myself out and even the slightest of breaks made me feel so much better. Taking a day off is necessary for maintaining balance and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for doing just that.
7. Breakfast is extremely underrated
This might be my favorite one and I have a very specific reason why. Up until my senior year my school started at 8:30 am which meant I could wake up early to eat breakfast without being exhausted the rest of the day. Then this year, the district start times changed to 7:30 a.m. WITH NO HOMEROOM. This meant that my first period class started at 7:30 a.m. on the dot, leaving no time to eat breakfast. The saying, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” really speaks volumes in this situation. I have grown a new appreciation for breakfast and will never take advantage of it again.
8. No one has it all figured out
I promise they don't. Not the upperclassmen, not the teachers, not even your valedictorian has it all together. Even if it appears as though the people around you have not a worry in the world, the reality is that just like you, they do.
9. The mistakes you make now don't define you
This is the time where we are asked to make some really detrimental decisions in our lives. Whether it be choosing a school, a major or maybe choosing to enter the workforce, these are the choices directly in front of us. It can feel like every judgment we make will affect the rest of our lives which leads us to believe our mistakes can too. The truth is the little mistakes you make today do not define your character. We are still young and the time to "live and learn" is right now.
10. We are ready
With the last few weeks of our senior year are coming to an end, we are all counting down the days until graduation. The only thing we can think about is the upcoming summer and the years ahead of us. So yes, we are all beyond excited to graduate but that doesn't mean it isn't still a little scary. It feels like we are at the edge of the diving board, ready to leap. Some of us will jump with no hesitation while others will freeze but the dive is inevitable. When all is said and done, our entire lives are ahead of us and we are as ready as we'll ever be.
