Momma Bear is about to unleash herself because my little sister will be starting high school next week even though she's practically still my baby. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I go through this with my daughter... okay, one step at a time.
Many of us will or have already witnessed someone special to us transitioning from little kid school to real life high school. As a college student, high school feels like a whole different world from a long time ago, but that's exactly why I want my baby sister to appreciate and learn from every moment of it. Even though it's over, high school still left imprints on my life that will forever be with me. I am thankful that I took advantage of the opportunities I faced, and I hope my sister takes on these next four years with an open mind and strong heart.
With that being said: Kalah, here are some important things to remember:
Your friends from elementary/middle school may not be your friends when you graduate.
Most of us go into high school with certain people that we may have grown up with. You've been friends since kindergarten, or you've been enemies since the third grade spelling bee. High school changes things, though. You find yourself in new classes with new people because there's so many more classes to choose from. Several schools compile into only a few high schools, so you'll meet people you've never heard of before. There's a very good chance that over the next four years your best friend could become a stranger, and your worst enemy will be your potential soul mate.
That's okay.
Don't spend high school stressing over maintaining relationships that may not be meant to last. Some friendships are so strong that they'll last from the first day of freshman year until your 20 year reunion. Count those as blessings, but don't disregard the new doors that God might be waiting to open for you!
You're going to face busy work, even though you're in high school.
This might be the most annoying thing ever. Keeping up with vocab, maps and reading checks might seem pointless and boring. Sometimes it is. But sometimes it's a sneaky way to get you to actually read and learn from material because you will be too stubborn to do it on your own. Use these little assignments as grade boosters! When junior year hits and it's time to start making scary decisions about your life, those assignments will keep your GPA in higher standing. Take the cushion that's offered you.
Find your true identity and own it.
If there were any one lesson that I hoped everyone would learn in high school, it'd be to have confidence in yourself. Darting through the halls with your head down while counting down the minutes until it's time to go home will leave you with some pretty terrible high school memories. For me, school (and life) was so much better once I began talking to different groups of people every day and finding who or what made me feel comfortable. Surrounding myself with people who accepted me for me and putting myself in settings that made me feel like I could say or act the way I truly felt helped me become confident in myself. I walked around school with dignity––whether I was wearing a super cute dress or a pair of hot pink converse. My favorite high school memories involved me taking chances, becoming a leader, and trying new adventures; not moping through the days wishing I was at home or watching my peers actually enjoy school.
High school definitely has its fair share of disappointments, bad days and sucky circumstances. ACT, I'm talking to you. However, I learned my most important life lessons thus far in high school. Some of my favorite memories happened after football games, during prom night, and at random club meetings at 6:30 in the morning.
Be involved in everything your school has to offer.
Don't be afraid that your middle school peers will judge you or call you lame. Try out some new clubs or activities, and if you don't like them then you can at least say you tried!
God has a cool way of showing you the path He intends for you if you just allow yourself to open up to new opportunities. High school is the vault of life's "outside of the box" zones. When you graduate, make sure you can look back at your time in high school and be thankful for all the experiences––good and bad––that you had during your years there. That's how you'll know you were successful.
