Junior year of high school I was very focused on fitting in, getting guys to like me, and trying to find as many colleges that were over four hours away from home. I was incredibly self-centered and naïve when I was 16. Here are 16 things that I wish that I knew at the age of 16.
1. It's OK to lose friends.
In high school people are constantly changing, and sometimes you just grow out of them. Let it happen. Don’t hold yourself back.
2. Not every classmate or teacher is going to like you.
As much as you may want everyone to like you, that is probably not going to happen. I know it may be annoying, but it’s just something that you have to deal with.
3. Every incident is not significant.
The fight that you had with your best friend or the "D" that you got on your Stats test doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
4. Don’t take AP classes that you can’t handle just to fit in.
The vast majority of my grade would average on taking three to four AP classes per year, and I thought that I wasn’t smart if I didn’t keep up with that standard.
5. Don’t let mistakes define you.
Whether you wore a see-through shirt to school or forgot your one-month anniversary with your boyfriend, it doesn’t matter. You are not your mistakes.
6. Embarrassing moments are going to happen.
You’re going to mess up in class or spill your drinkable Campbell’s chicken noodle soup all over the front of your crisp, white blouse. Just move past it, bring Tide-To-Go everywhere, and laugh it off.
7. Don’t worry so much about getting a prom date.
For my junior year, I was obsessed with having the perfect prom night. This included having the perfect date. I had the dress, the shoes, the ticket, but no date. Eventually someone asked me, but I had a pretty bad time with him.
8. Listen to your mom.
Just do it. She knows who your real friends are before you do. She’s been through high school before, and, when she gives you advice, she probably knows what she’s talking about.
9. Participate in class discussions.
You're never going to learn any material from sitting in the back row and not participating. In college, a portion of your grade is participation credit.
10. Don't pay for $15 mascara.
It's really not worth it. Drugstore Cover Girl mascara is just as good.
11. Wear what you want.
It didn't matter that you didn't have a Lily Pulitzer dress or jeans from Urban Outfitters. Just be yourself and don't pay so much attention to the labels. It's OK to shop at Goodwill.
12. Go to every football game.
The football games are ridiculously fun, and my friends in high school never were interested in going to the games. But I loved standing and cheering in the student sections. I loved the face paint and the banners. Especially now, I wish that I had attended more games because my university doesn't have a football team.
13. Try out for more things.
I was incredibly afraid of failure, and I just got anxious from trying new things. I wanted to do dance team in high school, but I was too afraid that I wasn't good enough to do it.
14. Be more confident.
My personal happiness derived specifically from my friends' approval, and I wish that I knew that it didn't matter what anyone thought.
15. Laugh more.
When I was 16, I took everything very seriously. Whether it was a text with an emoji from a guy or an AP history test, I just never saw the light in situations. I didn't stop to see the fun in anything.
16. Have more fun.
I never went to many parties in high school. I would make a ton of excuses to get out of gatherings and parties. High school is all about balance, and I never really understood that. I just wanted good grades, to do as many things that would look good on an application as possible, and to be liked. Just let loose and have a good time.
