Advice from a High School Senior

   The growing anticipation of starting yet other year of school has settled, and students are getting back into the daily grind. For some it's a new beginning and for other's it's another year in the confusing jungle called high school. But having been though the same halls for four year now, I've realized so many things that I wish I would've known/been told as a freshman, sophomore, and even junior. So I figured that I'd share my wisdom for those of who are still plowing through the last four years of primary education before stepping out into the "real world."

   Make the effort to surround yourself with a good group of people. Don't base your friend group around popularity- base it on how supportive and trustworthy they are. Hang around people who make you smile and are judgement free instead someone who makes you feel physically or emotionally drained. Your group of friends is a support network so make sure you're there for your friends as much as you want them to be there for you. Also, make sure you are comfortable being alone at times. You may need advice from a friend(s) at certain times but make sure you are able to rationalize and cope with certain aspects of school school on your own.

"You ought to spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people."

-The Breakfast Club

You will be changing all through high school. Looking back, freshman year isn't as cringe-worthy as middle school but it's still bad. Be ready to make changes to your schedules so you have time for extracurricular activities and adjust habits to be more productive. If things just aren't working out for you try new strategies to see if they help (ex. different study techniques). As time goes on you should also be open to tailoring your personality to really become the person you want to be. It may seem a little confusing at times with so much on your plate, but it's important to be happy with who you are. 

 This one is quite simple: don't buy the fanciest and smallest backpack. Buy the one what will survive the flooded hallways, the "I'm throwing this three feet because I'm frustrated," and the 7 ton textbooks you will need to carry. These backpacks may be a little pricey (I have a North Face which was expensive) but they last at least all years in high school. Pro tip: get ones with a solid back and comfortable shoulder straps since it's better for your back. Another pro-tip: forget binders, use folders- they're a million times lighter, a lot cheaper, and let you organize your classes more easily since your teacher will forget to whole punch papers 80% of the time which is extremely frustrating.

Sometimes it's just one of those days where you go from speculating the value in completing textbook notes to questioning humanity's entire existence and your place among it. Speaking from personal experience, these days are difficult (and always fall on the days where you have the most homework and least amount of time) but they're temporary. All you have to say to yourself is "Tomorrow is another day." You have your entire life ahead of you, don't let one teach, friend, assignment, or test bring you down. If you are destined to do something, know that you will find away to accomplish it. 

Schools often forget about the most important part of school: you. If you are not in the right mindset for school it is 100% okay to take a mental health day. Your well being is worth a day off just gathering your thoughts over Netflix. Go back to school the next day feeling refreshed, prepared, and confident.

Join clubs and after school activities from the get-go. Besides boosting your resume, clubs are a great outlet. It's extremely rewarding when you meet and collaborate with people with similar interests for a common goal. Pick some legit clubs first- like Model UN, marching band, robotics, Honor Society, FBLA- and then join some fun ones like hacky-sack club or a crafting club where it's a carefree, low-stress environment.
From another standpoint, get involved in your classes. Participate a lot, engage with your classmates outside of just that class. Also, talk to your teachers. Bring up a cool place you've been to that relates to the subject, talk about an article you like, ask them about how they got into teaching. Engaging with your teachers makes you more comfortable with them as a student and shows the teacher that you genuinely care about the class.  

   Spoiler Alert: you actually need to work hard in high school. Your grades do matter. If you find yourself in a mid-year crisis you need to push through. Although it doesn't always seem worth it, studying and completing your assignments help you a lot in the long run. Grades are more significant junior year but if you've been consistent with the years before it will still be the same, just with some more emphasis on college. You future will start to matter more, and doing well in school will open up many more opportunities when you want them to be available. If you have a goal for yourself, lets say a dream college, print a picture and post it on your bulletin board and keep it in your agenda to remind you how short- term diligence has long-term rewards.Those late night (including a few all nighters) will pay off in high grades, praise, and personal satisfaction.

High school isn't the end all be all for the rest of your life. You may feel like you need to make all these life decision at a young age but you don't need to have everything figured out. It's your life, you make it what it is one step at a time. It's okay not to know, it's okay to mess up. Do what you like, what you want, at your own pace, with your own style, or whatever else. And if there's one aphorism that incorporates all these aspects of high school it's you do you. 

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Any advice you think it important for high schoolers everywhere? Any wisdom for a teenager about to start college, yet another adventure? 

xoxo,

Anastasia