High school is a very important part of your life. All of the good, the bad, the useless information you studied for hours just so you could get that A, the sleepless nights because you had a project due the next day, and all of the endless memories you’ve made along the way are all meaningful in a way.

Whether you realize it or not, high school teaches many life lessons without intending to; so, here is what high school has taught me.

1. These are some of the best years of your life - believe it or not, high school really is some of the best years you’ll have. Before you know it you’ll be looking back on the past 4 years of your life wondering where they went, so make sure you enjoy every possible second.
2. Girls are so mean - you’re going to meet some that honestly just hate you for no reason at all. Others will hate you for stupid things too. Be better than that, what they say and do does not matter.
3. Be nice to everyone - you never know who is going through what, so just be nice to everyone.
4. Your first heartbreak is going to suck - you can cry and cry and cry all you want but you’re going to have to realize that first of all, boys are not worth your tears, and that there’s plenty of other guys in the world so you gotta move on.
5. You’re going to find who your real friends are - there are so many fake people in this world but when nothing is going right, pay close attention to who is genuinely there for you. The people that stay by your side no matter what are your real friends.
6. Take care of yourself - I mean sleep every night for as long as you can, take a day off if you’re really behind with your work, go into school late if you don’t feel well. Your health is much more important than your grades.
7. Don’t stress too much - you’re going to get so stressed at some points. Finals, AP exams, SATs, ACTs, cheerleading tryouts, band concert, whatever it is that’s stressing you out, you will be perfectly fine. Too much stress will only hurt you in the long run.
8. Talk to the new kid - I was the new kid at my high school in the middle of my Freshman year. So speaking for that side, being at a new school and not knowing anyone is terrible and terrifying so having a friend or two at the time would have been nice. Be friends with the new kid, make things easier for them.
9. Dreams don’t work unless you do - your dream school requires an SAT score of 1300? Study like crazy and retake your SAT. If there’s something you want, work hard for it.
10. Just because you made a mistake, does not mean you are a mistake - we’re all human, humans make mistakes. No matter how big or small the mistake is, move on from it. No matter what people may say or make up about you keep your head up and move on.