As I walk around campus and see groups of terrified looking high schoolers, taking their tours, I can't help but remember what that felt like, and to wonder how in the world I was going to decide where to go, or how I was going to survive the rest of high school. These feelings are even stronger now that I have a brother who is starting his college visits. Thinking about high school, I created a list of things that I thought I should tell kids that are still in high school, some of my tips and tricks, and also my advice to them before they leave for college or the work force or the military, or whatever the future will hold for them.
It's okay to like nerdy things.
It's okay to be shy.
Just don't let being shy stop you.
Don't panic if you don't know anyone in your classes. You'll make friends.
Your friends will change.
Your heart will be broken (not just by a significant other).
You will have difficult teachers.
You will have days that you want to give up.
You can't give up.
It's okay to cheer and have school spirit!
It's okay to be friends with the seniors!
Sit in the student section!!
Cheer for the band.
Try to have friends in all groups.
You'll meet people you'd never think you'd meet.
Get involved in as much as you can.
Don't wish your days weeks months and years away.
They go by faster than you realize. You'll wish them away and look back and five months have passed and you don't know where they all went. And then years go by and you're standing at the doorstep of senior year.
Don't kill yourself over school work. Grades are important but they don't define you.
Learn to love yourself.
You will change.
You'll cry. A lot. Over a lot of different things.
Popular kids aren't all the stereotypical ones you see in movies...
Neither are the nerds or the jocks or any clique.
Talk to your teachers.
Ask for help, it doesn't mean you're stupid.
It's okay to be frustrated.
Go to the library and play chess with your friends.
Go to bonfires and the river.
Go to football and basketball and volleyball and softball and baseball games and go to the swim and dive meets.
Participate in spirit week.
The dances are fun if you make them fun
Cherish the nights with your family.
Enjoy every single second with your best friends because chances are, this is the last time you'll be in school with them.
But remember that proximity does not define the strength of those friendships.
Try to memorize the way every street of your town looks at night, you'll become nostalgic about it when you realize you won't be on those streets every day.
Be thankful for the arguments, but also don't let them overtake your life. They mean you feel strongly enough about what you believe to fight for it.
Don't pick your college for your friends or significant other. Pick it for yourself.
Don't worry about knowing which you'll pick. You'll know.
Instead of feeling butterflies and nervousness, you'll walk on campus and feel like home.
Remember that your family and friends are always a phone call or text away.
But most of all, remember that God has a plan. Trust Him above all else. God is greater than the highs and lows.
