Going from middle school to high school was a rough transition and being the first child means that you're the guinea pig and your parents are going to try everything in you first. You're going to be the first one that applies to college or tries out singing class. As an older sibling, there are so many things I wish that I knew before I started high school so I could've had a more smooth time in high school. Here are 8 things I learned from high school that I wish I knew before starting the foundation of my career and future.
1. Planning is EVERYTHING.
Planning what you want to pursue in your career and what classes you want to take is something that sounds like a simple thing but is extremely crucial and plays a big role. Take courses that you're interested in and will actually benefit you for your future. Take the APs that your college of interest will actually give you credit. Take easier APs to help balance your schedule and will help with GPA.
2. Choosing what college you're interested in.
Being open to options of different colleges and planning what the requirements for different colleges is important because if you don't have even one course that is required for the college you want to go to, it could diminish your chances of fulfilling your dream. Choosing what you want to do and where you want to go allows for you to plan everything ahead of time and modify your schedule to benefit you.
3. Enjoy high school when you can.
The most important thing to do is to have fun when you can as a freshmen or in your underclassmen years of high school. This is the time period where you're still trying to find your interests and figuring out school with your friends. This is also the time when you'll have the most free time because from here, it only gets harder, so you should enjoy simple pleasures while you can.
4. Make strong connections with your teachers
Your teachers are going to be the ones who write your college recommendation letters and most importantly, they're the people who will be mentoring you through the course. This is why it's important to have a strong bond with your teacher so when you need help with school or just life in general, you have someone with experience to guide you.
5. Take every summer as an advantage
Your summer is a great time to vacation but it's also an opportunity to build your resume and find what you're interested in. It's a great time to attend camps and workshops to help build your interest in a specific field.
6. Keep a close group of friends
Keeping a close group of friends will allow to make some of your best friends for the rest of your life. They'll become your ride or dies and the people you go for any kind of advice. They'll be the people you go to football games with, the people you go to homecoming with. They'll be your stress relievers.
7. Hard work will pay off in any way
Even if you think that you didn't succeed the way you thought your hard work would've payed off, there's always going to be some kind of way that your hard work will pay off. Just because it's not how you envisioned it to be, doesn't mean that your hard work didn't pay off.