This weekend, I graduated from high school. I'm not really sure how to feel about it; I'm happy to be cut loose from a school that has given me about twelve detentions, two in-school suspensions and an additional five-day suspension. Also, I'm sad to leave what I will look back on as the glory days. The days where school was a very small part of my day, followed by hanging out with friends and cruising through town until late at night.
I walked across that stage confidently. However, four years ago, I couldn't have been sure that I would have graduated. I failed two classes in two consecutive years and spent the next two years making up for those failures. I never thought that I would find myself taking four years of math and science, my two weakest subjects. I made a lot of mistakes in high school, but I still made it through. Stress was something I had to deal with heavily in my senior year, along with an opposing lack of motivation. Procrastination led to stress, and stress led to more procrastination. Here's how to avoid all that stress:
PASS. You may think when it's first quarter and you're still all relaxed from the summer that your grade doesn't mean anything, but you'd be wrong. If you gripe about a class you hate so much, pass it. You won't have to do it again. Common sense. If you think not doing your work is a great way to get back at a teacher you think hates you, you'd be wrong again. Doing well on tests and homework is the best revenge. I did very little homework in high school compared to the amount of homework I was assigned, and it made fourth quarter an endless final boss in the video game of high school. I passed math by the skin of my teeth two out of four years, failed once, but aced geometry.
If you're smart, great. If you're like me though, you realize that even smart people don't like doing homework. AP courses are cool and all for shiny, idyllic college futures, but make sure you're prepared for the work. Don't work yourself into the ground in high school just so you can continue to work yourself into the ground later on. You'll blow a gasket, and someone will have to clean that up. Gross.
On the other hand, if you're smart, don't waste your time with classes that are too easy. Challenge yourself to at least learn something, especially if it's something you're already good at. You don't need to be amazing at everything, but it's good to work on your strengths, hard.
Math was the hardest thing in school, and I never really looked forward to it just because it was the only class (besides Biology) that I didn't understand. The logic behind it is too bewildering for me. I didn't really see any application for algebra and trigonometry beyond further education in college.
Last thing: try to make friends with your teachers. They all like to say that they don't play favorites, but they have to say that. You know, the golden rule and all that. If you're struggling in a class and at least make an effort to be nice to your teacher (but don't kiss ass), you might find yourself getting some extra help. If you're good at a class, your teacher already likes you because you're making her/his job easier. Don't be afraid to joke around with your teachers. I was always especially good at English, and it's safe to say that all of my teachers liked me because I didn't treat them like they were just my teachers. However, I had some teachers that I didn't get along with, and sometimes it really just can't be helped.
In short, you'll find high school a lot easier if you follow those guidelines. Know that as much as you may think you hate high school, you'll look back fondly on those four years, and all the hell you raised. For now, I'm just holding my diploma, wondering if I should be happy or sad to leave. I'm thinking it's probably a little of both.
