High school wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it was four years I will cherish forever because of my experiences and friendships along the way.

Dear 2012 Me,

You're about to walk into four years of excitement, but it's only what you make of it. Get involved in as many things as you can. People will tell you that getting too involved could be bad for you. It could hinder your studies. Well, that's when balance is learned. While leading the school spirit and participating in sports events, you will have to make time for homework. Believe me, if you spend too much time on just schoolwork, you will regret not doing the things that all of your friends are doing–having fun.

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This brings me to my next point: friendships and relationships. Often you will hear that you won't have the same friends after high school as you did before. I think that is a load of crap. Your friendships are what you make of them, just as the rest of your experience. If you think a certain friend is going down the wrong path, it's OK to cut them off because you don't need negative distractions and you'll pick up better friends along the way. Now, relationships. First thing's first, it's cool to have teacher-student relationships with your teachers. Communicating with them is important and things will go easier if the both of you recognize each other as humans first. You'll need a mentor to go to when things get tough at home, you and boyfriend are having problems or you're having trouble getting into college.

Speaking of boyfriends, cool it with the high school relationships. You might meet someone you're head over heels for, and that's great, but don't make your only mission of high school be to date the quarterback of the football team. Chances are, the boy sitting behind you in Algebra is way funnier and more outgoing than Mr. QB, and you're not even giving him a chance. Do you before anyone else is in the picture.

Finally, you're going to make mistakes. Things are going to happen where you wish you could take them back, but such is life. The key is to learn from those mistakes, so you don't make the same ones in college. Use your friends and your mentors and overcome circumstances you might not be able to do alone. Also, embrace your class. These are the people who will carry you through four years of great opportunities, and they're all in the same boat you're in. Take risks. Take advantage of the opportunities you're given. Most importantly, take these four years and cherish them because they'll be over in a blink.