Lessons I've Learned After Graduating High School

Preschool.  I was three.  I thought my parents were leaving me forever, but they were only leaving me for a few hours, so that I could learn how to assimilate into an environment unlike my own home.

Elementary School.  Six years, including kindergarten, spent training my brain to remember basic skills, learning to make friends, all the while, still deeply depending on my parents.

Middle School.  Three years spent finding myself, going through physical and emotional changes, and prepping to advance into the "real world" aka high school.

High School.  Nine years later and I finally made it.  Here come the rebellious times, the times that did not occur for me.  Four years of passing and failing interchangeably, college tours and applications.  Four years of rejection, of self pity, and most of all, of acceptance, of both myself and to colleges.

Here I am, standing tall after twelve years of torture, about to take on four more years of it.   High school is quite an experience.  All the good, bad, and cringe-worthy memories are coming back as I'm writing this.  As I spent my four years in high school, I felt as though I was not that well prepared to take on the challenge of transitioning from middle school to high school.  From a class of only nineteen, to a class of a hundred, I felt as though I would drown.  I found out later, despite my previous reservations, that it would not be as hard as I thought, I kept my head above water (majority of the time at least), but it was difficult nonetheless.

Right before you start high school, your parents try to help you and tell you stories of their high school experiences, but times have changed Mom and Dad.  Each year I spent in high school, I faced different difficulties as I matured and grew with my class.  These are the lessons I've learned, and that I wish I learned before I went to high school.  (Sorry Mom and Dad, your stories aren't part of this.)

1.  Be Yourself.
I'm starting with the most cliche because I think it is the one that I definitely need to get out of the way.  When you're making your middle to high school transition, it's important to never forget who you are, especially when you're trying to make friends.  When you're in a new place, it can sometimes be easier if you try to fit into the crowd, even though it's not truly who you are, but that's how you make "fake friends".  High school is a cruel place, and if later your "friends" find out the true you, it can go left or right depending on them.

2.  Read every book, even if you aren't interested in it.
Please take this one seriously.  I didn't read any books, assigned or not, during high school.  Well, I read one, but that one doesn't make up for the like forty books I didn't read... But seriously, the best thing you can do for yourself is to actually read all the books.

3.  Boys (or girls!) don't matter.
You don't need a boyfriend, you need a 4.0. GPA.  That's all I have to say

4.  If you do have a significant other, don't forget your friends.
My best friend of 15 years got a boyfriend when we got to high school.  We aren't friends anymore.  Granted there's more to the story, but I've seen so many people lose friends when they get into romantic relationships because they don't divide their time well enough between their significant other and their friends.  They completely forget about school too.

5.  Go to every event; dance, game, play, concert, etc.
Okay, you don't have to go to EVERY event, but try not to miss a football game or dance.  You don't need to have a date to the dances, go with friends, have fun, dance the night away.

6.  Keep a phone charger and headphones in your bag.
Don't be that person who goes around asking everyone if they have a phone charger or headphones.  Those are the most annoying people.  Don't be please.

7.  Carry tampons and pads with you too.
Life happens, it saves you some embarrassment.

8.  Join lots of clubs, get involved.
Freshman year I did women's choir, and I HATED IT, but it was something. Sophomore and junior, I didn't do anything.  Senior year, I was on Service Team, National Art Honor Society, and a few other things, and I don't remember a happier time in high school.  One of my biggest regrets is not getting involved enough in high school.

9.  Take your work seriously.
Nothing hurts worse than seeing the average acceptance GPA of the colleges you are looking to apply to.  Take all your classes and assignments seriously please.  It's very important that you don't BS your work because you may think you won't every use the things you learn again, but little do you know...

10.  Your friends from high school won't matter after you graduate.
This is the last one, but to me, it's the most important one.  My friends from high school were not true friends.  They took advantage of one another, they were selfish, and even more that I don't want to write or I'll get angry, but I digress.  All that drama that your friends created, all the crap they put you through, doesn't matter once you get to college.  One of the things I struggled with when thinking about college was that I didn't want to leave my friends.  That's not something you should worry about.  It turned out my friends are all staying close, even though it doesn't matter to me, but don't let that be the deciding factor when choosing college; same goes with significant others.


High school is definitely one of the best times in your life, and it goes by so fast, so DRINK IT IN.  I do miss high school, but I'm excited to start a new adventure.  Remember to not take things to seriously, unless it's schoolwork, and you'll be happy in high school and life.


Thanks for reading!

Love, Cat