In middle school, I used to believe that high school would be just like "High School Musical." Turns out, I was completely wrong. High school was a roller coaster, full of unexpected turns and drops. From eating lunch in the bathroom to taking as many AP courses as humanly possible, these are some things I have learned.

1. Grades don't determine how well you do in life.

Sure, you may not have gotten an A in that English class, but that doesn't mean you won't be the top neurosurgeon at a prestigious school. Grades aren't everything in life. Having friends who support you and being yourself are things that define who you are and who you will become in the future.

2. All of those late nights you spent doing homework will pay off.

Staying up till 3 a.m. to write research papers or finish another chapter of a textbook will be the least of your favorite memories in high school. However, those late nights are how you will learn to push yourself to do the best.

3. Being smart is cool - you don’t need to play dumb to fit in.

You may think that boys like the girls who can't tell the difference between their lefts and rights. But that's not true. In fact, being smart is cool. Don't try to suppress who you are. Instead, embrace it and love it. One day, those smarts are going to turn you into a CEO or a top surgeon or even a bestselling author.

4. Don’t chase being cool because it doesn’t mean anything outside of high school.

BE YOURSELF! Don’t switch it up to fit in with other kids, but rather find someone who shares your interests. Being popular is NOT the most important thing in high school. Don't worry about where you sit or who you sit with. Who you sit with during lunch doesn't determine your entire social circle for the rest of your life. Instead, finding people who accept you for who you are is much more important.

5. Being single in high school should be the least of your worries.

Believe it or not, love isn't everything in high school. You will hear about the couples who married their high school sweethearts. But trust me, most boys in high school are not boyfriend material. They will play games with you and pull on your heart strings. All you need to do is to focus on your future and not be distracted by mindless boys.

6. Listen to your parents.

You're going to hate hearing mom tell you that some boy isn't worth your time or dad telling you that you aren't allowed to go to that party on Friday night. You'll want to sneak out and have fun. But your mom and dad have lived on this world much longer than you have, so trust that they have the knowledge and wisdom from experience.

7. Don’t let what others say or think about you get into your head.

People are going to try and take you down in high school. Whether it is because you are smart, pretty, talented or for no reason at all. Don't let the negative things they say about you tear you down.

8. That zit you got on prom night won’t be the worst thing that ever happens to you.

You wake up the morning of prom, excited and nervous. The last couple weeks have been crazy, filled with dress shopping, dinner plans, and "promposals." You look into the mirror to find a planet has erupted on your face. Don't panic. It's not the end of the world. A little concealer and foundation can cover up that zit and you'll still be beautiful. Later in life, you won't even remember that zit. Instead, you'll remember all the fun memories you had dancing and hanging out with friends on prom night.

9. Getting cut from the varsity team doesn’t have to ruin your love for sports.

So you didn't make the dance team. Or the lacrosse team. That doesn't mean that you are bad at sports, and it shouldn't ruin your love for it either. If you didn't make the team, that means that you get the opportunity to show them what you've got next year, and the year after that. Varsity isn't everything. Just doing what you love is what counts.

10. Don’t think about community service as something you just have to do.

You joined a community service club because you knew it would be good for your application, didn't you? If you're going to volunteer, don't do it because you feel like you need to. Do it because you want to benefit the community that surrounds you. You can learn something from volunteer work. You can build relationships with new people, give back and make a difference.

11. You’ll survive these four awkward years.

You'll go through many awkward, weird stages throughout high school. You'll feel insecure about yourself and wonder why this is happening to you. But you'll get through it, because you will always have someone to lean on.

12. And you're going to become a stronger, better person after it.

High school will seem hard and difficult, I know. People will say things that sting, treat you like trash, and make you feel worthless. But from this experience, you will become stronger. You'll know how to fight off the harsh things life throws at you. You'll be able to overcome every obstacle in your path. You will be the one to take the high road, because from high school, you've changed. You've changed from a young girl, who dreamed of being a princess, into a woman, ready to dominate the real world.