All throughout high school I was told I needed to know what I wanted to do with myself. It wasn’t enough that I wanted to go to college, I had to know exactly what college I would attend and everything I would do once I was there. High school was unreasonably stressful: applying to college, the fight for scholarships, thinking I would never see my closest friends again. Everything can be overwhelming at times, and it really should not be that way. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when things do get stressful when the world is crumbling in your fingers, when you feel alone.
For starters, you do not need to have every single aspect of your future figured out. Many individuals feel as if they need to come to college with a strict four-year plan of the direction they want their life to go in. Little do they know, most students enter college with no clue of what they want to do, just an idea. The mere idea that everyone has it figured out is enough to stress out anyone. College is the time for you to figure out what you like and go for it, full force. Many will tell you that is what high school is for, but high school is simply a place where you get prepared for college. High school is not the end or the beginning of your life; it is a simple four years that help you get started.
High school should be fun! Make friends or watch Netflix! Go to parties every weekend or go to the movies! Spend all your time volunteering or playing with your siblings. Take a breather every once in a while. Once you finish high school, you will truly never look back. I promise you will not remember every grade you made on every exam. I can assure you that AP tests will seem trivial in five months and, whether you get credit or not, you will be OK. I know you will hear people telling you that you are young and your life has not really started yet. Things will get repetitive and you may not believe them, but please do. You are young, so enjoy it. You have the time to wait a little while before you grow up.
Take some time to be with your family and friends. Once you arrive at your university, there will come a point when you grow up. You will contact your parents less and less often. You will not always go home for summer. You will check Facebook and not know what old friends are referring to when they post about their new lives. This will happen and it sucks. Try to enjoy what you have now. College can be a tad bit lonely. You have to be independent, even if you don’t want to. Yes, you will make friends who will help you through hard times, but at the end of the day, you only have yourself. Try enjoying the company you have now before you grow up.
High school is a short period in your long life. Try to make it fun.
