1. Not to take things for granted.
As cliché as it may sound, you really don’t realize how special high school is until you’re not there. No matter how much you think you hate it, there will always be a small part of you that’s going to miss it. Once it’s over, you’ll probably never be with all of your friends every single day like you were in high school. While it’s so great to move on from it, enjoy it while you’re there. You only get to experience those four years one time.
2. It’s okay not to have it all together.
When I was in school, I felt like I had to do everything. Although the struggle only gets harder in college (I’m only a week in, and trust me, it already is), you have a lot to balance in high school. Sports, clubs, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, family time, and grades. You don’t have to do it all 24/7. One bad grade won’t kill you, and your friends won’t disown you just because you can’t go out one night. There is no rule saying you have to do everything. Take the time to do things for you and what makes you happy.
3. It’s okay to be your own person.
You know how in "Mean Girls" they have all of those cliques and that determines where you sit at lunch? While real high school may not be that intense, there definitely are cliques, and no matter how much you think you don’t, you will belong to one. But, just because you have a group of friends who like one thing doesn’t mean you have to like it, too. Be the kind of person you want to be and surround yourself with the people who make you happy—no matter how many disapproving looks you may get. It’s okay to like different things and think differently. I promise, once you’re out of high school, you won’t care what anyone in high school thought of you, so be your own person because at the end of the day, you’ll never be happy if you’re always trying to please others.
4. Try to be friends with everyone.
Don’t be mean to the new kid. Don’t ignore someone just because everyone else thinks they're weird. Compliment people, smile at people, listen to them when they want to tell you about their weekend. And for the love of God, please don’t say something terrible about them as soon as they leave. It’s okay to be friends with people that your friends don’t like, and it’s okay for your friends to be friends with people you don’t like. When it comes down to it, you won’t remember too many details about high school once it’s over, but you will always remember the people you spent it with.
5. But, it’s also okay not to be.
I know, it probably sounds hypocritical after #4, but stay with me on this one. Try to be friends with as many people as you can, but also learn that there are some people you just aren’t going to get along with. This one took me a long time to learn, but once you accept it you’ll be so much happier. Don’t force a friendship and don’t change yourself to try to make others like you. If you don’t click, you don’t click. It’s okay to not be friends with everyone, and just because you aren’t friends doesn’t mean you hate them. Surround yourself with the people who bring out the best parts of you, not the worst.
6. You will get over that break up.
Just trust me on this one. I know, he was “the love of your life,” and you’ll "never find anyone like her ever again," but guess what? You’ll find better. When the time is right, you’ll meet your person, and it’ll work out. Chances are, it’ll be someone you never saw coming, but God’s timing is always right. Don’t spend your time crying over someone (or tweeting about it) when you could be doing so many other things. At 16, you’re not expected to know who you’re going to spend your life with. Have one good cry over the break-up and then accept it and move on. You will get over it.
7. Learn to let go.
This is the one I personally struggled with the most. I know you’re going to want to hold on to that friendship you had since second grade, and you don’t want to let go of that year and a half relationship, and you really don’t know if you can move away from home for college. Because those things are what you’re comfortable with, even if you’re not happy. It’s what you’re used to. But guess what? It’s okay to let go. Stop holding on to things that don’t make you a better version of yourself. Accept that sometimes things and people change and let go of the way it used to be. Stop fighting it and embrace it. Everything happens for a reason, and usually it’s because there’s something better ahead, so don’t be afraid to let it go.
