Dear Emily and the Class of 2021,
You are on your way to high school this fall and I wanted to give you some advice on things I wish I knew when I was starting high school back in 2011. You are ready for the challenge, but here are a few tips to get you started.
1. It’s not as scary as people make it sound.
High school is just another part of your school career. The seniors won’t hurt you and everyone makes fun of the freshmen, so embrace the attention you get about being the babies of the school again.
2. Make the effort whenever you can.
This is a big one. If you want to see your friends, do it. If you think you need to study more, take the extra 10 minutes. If someone needs your help, take the time every once in a while. People remember the one’s who went the extra mile.
3. Grades aren’t everything, but they do mean something.
It is a lot harder to bring your GPA up than it is to drop it. No assignment is worth stressing yourself out over, but each test means something, so do your best work.
4. Be friends with unlikely people.
There will always be someone in high school who needs a friend, and it may not be the person you would expect. Embrace every annoying partner you get placed next to and the groups that slack off. They are a pain, but they still deserve kindness at first. Be the one who smiles back.
5. Show school spirit.
Participate in Spirit Week, go to the football games. Cheer for your school and really mean it. High school is one of the only times when you can be silly and not be judged. Those 4 years go fast and its important to seize the opportunities you get.
6. Join something.
Getting involved may sound dumb and you might think the clubs are lame, but being a part of your school is what gets you noticed. Join the team, or volunteer. The least you can do is try.
7. Boys can be your friends.
Boys aren’t dumb, just complicated. There are nice boys out there and if you want to be their friend, than talk to them. No boy is worth a broken heart in high school, but they are worth a chance at being your friend.
8. People who hurt you aren’t worth it.
There will always be mean girls, rude people and bad days, but anybody who hurts you is not worth your time. Those people may seem powerful, but your kind heart is bigger than anybody’s words.
9. Listen to your teachers.
There are good teachers and bad teachers, but each one will teach you a lesson in some way. Let them tell you stories and remember their quirks. You can look back one day and tell the story about your teacher in 10th grade did this or it was so annoying when your math teacher did that. Teachers are part of your high school days and they will be something you will remember.
10. Don’t let school stress you out too much.
It’s just school, it’s not life. You can fail a test or forget to do an assignment, and the world won’t crumble. As long as you do your best, you are doing high school exactly right. Hard work pays off, but you want to do more in high school than just sit home doing homework.
11. You don’t have to have it all figured out.
No matter what any adult in high school tells you, you don’t need to plan your life out in high school. Find what interests you and do that. Take classes that sound fun, not easy. When the time comes for you to go to college, go where you want or do what you think will be best for you. And NEVER let anybody discredit your choices, because they don’t know you and they won’t have to live with your decisions.
12. Always be prepared for tomorrow.
Nobody who does today’s homework during class is cool and its not worth the stress. Everyone is bound to forget sometimes, but don’t let procrastination or laziness become a habit. Your phone will still be there and you can always go to bed early tomorrow, but your homework won’t do itself for you.
13. Have fun.
High school is fun, so let yourself have fun sometimes. Do things with your friends and make the most of your time with them.
14. It’s guaranteed to be 4 of the most memorable years of your life.
I’m not going to tell you high school is great or terrible or boring, but it is memorable. You will always have memories from high school and you can decide whether they are good or not.
As your big sister, I will always be there for you during your high school years. I know you are a motivated, strong girl who will be an amazing high school student. You will not be the same person you are now in 4 years, but you and your Class of 2021 is destined for greatness. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Love you,
Your Big Sister and a Class of 2015 High School Graduate
