When you're in high school, your world feels easy. You have little responsibility, a great friend group, maybe a relationship throughout the years. Your life is comfortable. You have a couple years to learn about yourself and others. Then, high school ends and you don't know what to do with yourself.
Here is what I've learned since I've graduated high school.
1. Not all of your friends stick by your side after high school, and that's okay.
I've had my fair share of wondering why people don't reach out to me out of high school many times since I graduated. Eventually, I just let that go. It sucks at first, but some people don't stay close throughout the years. Sometimes being friends with people works at the time because it's convenient.
You go to the same school, you see them every day, and it's just easy. There are PLENTY of people in the world that you can be friends with. High school friends aren't always needed after high school.
2. The "real world" isn't as scary as everyone makes it seem.
Being young and starting a job is definitely a scary thought. You're barely 18 and out in the world looking for opportunities to better yourself. I feel like when I was in school, almost all of the teachers would talk about the "Real World" as some big, scary place that, soon enough, we'd all be heading to.
Well, it's not as scary as people think. In my experience, people have been even more helpful towards me and my career since I am just starting off. Adults understand that I am young and may be need more help than others.
3. Family becomes one of the most important parts of your life.
As I've gotten older, I've cherished family so much more. To go along with #1, friends don't always stick around by your side out of high school. Family does. Cherish those family gatherings because family is forever.
4. High school drama is exactly that: HIGH SCHOOL drama.
The longer I'm out of high school, the happier I am. When you're young and surrounded by other young people wanting attention, it can be exhausting! Every week, there is a new rumor or story spiraling around the school.
In my life, I stopped worrying about all of that the minute I graduated high school. I unfollowed SO MANY peers that I simply didn't care about anymore. People who brought gossip and drama were now gone by the click of an unfollow button. Even if I'm "out of the loop," I don't care. I'm happy in my life.
5. Not everything means as much when you're out of high school.
People are mean, and situations can feel like the end of the world, especially at such a young age. I have some news: none of this will matter in a few years. The drama, fights, relationships, none of it matters. You're not going to be thinking about all of that drama 10 years down the road. Nothing is as big and important as it seems.
6. No more teachers treating you like children.
I know this doesn't go for everyone, but at my high school, I felt as if all of my senior year I was treated like a child. We couldn't wear certain things, we couldn't walk in the hallway without a note, we couldn't say a bad word, and so on.
If we are supposed to be learning to interact in an adult environment once we get out of high school, then why are we being treated like children? Once I got out of high school, adults started treating me like an adult! It's great!
7. You'll stop caring about how others look at you.
I remember that I thought almost ALL of high school, I cared about what people thought about me. I only wanted to wear the best clothes, and act a certain way, and do my hair like everyone else. I wanted to fit in and be liked.
But now, it doesn't matter what people think about me because it's my life! I do what makes me happy and nobody else matters!
