It’s always a struggle to look at the big picture and realize what is important. For me, that was most difficult in high school. Now that I am a junior in college, I look back and see what little things I should have never stressed about.
1. What I wore
It was as if I had to look good all the time. If my hair wasn’t perfectly straight, it was neatly back in a pony-tail. I even spaced out when I would wear t-shirts and made a conscious effort not to repeat wear one outfit within a week of wearing it to school. Now, I wear pretty much the same outfit to class every day: baggy t-shirt, leggings, and boots or tennis shoes. It doesn’t matter what you wear to class! Now I just care if I get enough sleep to go to class the next day.
2. Being “popular”
Thinking back, I wasted so much time monitoring what I said or being extra nice to people who would have never been anywhere near that nice to me. I wish I would have said what I thought and would have been more outspoken. I truly would have made so many more friends if I would have relaxed and been genuine to who I was. BUT either way, your real friends are waiting for you in college when everyone decides to get over themselves a little bit.
3. Relationship status
In high school, it was as if not having a boyfriend by your freshman year dubbed you unlikeable. Being able to say a guy had asked you to be his girlfriend gave you some sort of validation and boosted your social class. WRONG. If anything, this boy was probably a waste of time, a heartbreak, or just trying to see what was in it for himself. This need to have a relationship is why me and half of my friends compare such horrible dating histories. Searching for a boy to give your life more meaning or make it better just left me even more disappointed had I just lived my life.
4. Prom/Homecoming
You do not need a date, go with your friends, it will be so much more fun. You do not need to have your hair and makeup professionally done, that is what friends and makeup tutorials on YouTube are for. Limos seem cool until you realize that it is about $200 per date. I wish I could have told myself that prom was to have fun, not to put on a show.
5. College
First of all, college is not scary. I mean, it has its moments, but that is everything. College is where you learn more about yourself than what you do in school. Don’t stress about which college you go to because it will be about the same experience wherever you go. Finally, college is not like high school. You meet so many different people with different backgrounds and you will make the best of friends. It will take some time to meet all of these people, but college is the freedom you always wished for in high school, utilize it.
