1. You know what it's like to be the boss
Everyone knows bossy is a term used to diminish girl's sense of authority. Often times men are not accused of being bossy; the call it "taking charge" or "being a man's man". There is no room for subtly in this male dominated world; time to put some old tactics to use.
2. You will always be the one people ask about
Why bother trying to hide your successes or flops after high school? You either landed that promotion or you didn't. Each day comes as a lesson and once people stop focusing on the failures (that often turn to lessons), we will be able to say: "Yes, talk about me. Look at what I did and what I overcame." Let people talk about you, it'll only help teach everyone a valuable point in the long run.
3. When people try to pull an attitude, you know how to handle it
There is nothing anyone can say to diminish you once you recognize that you aren't the big fish in a little pond anymore. Moving on from being the one that shut down a roast before it even started can be useful in the professional world. When Margret makes that snide comment about your mispronunciation in the Board Meeting, point out that the attitude is not acceptable; we women are all on the same in the work world.
4. Once you hit reality in college, there is nowhere to go but up
It's good to get knocked down a couple thousand floors on the dean's list. Failing a few tests will teach you how to work up from the 19% you got on your last BUS 310 assignment. All you can do is prove the professor who ignored your emails (begging for extra credit) wrong.
5. You know how to handle haters
What are some of people's biggest fears going into a new social community? That they won't make friends! You won't be everyone's friend in college like you were to most of your classmates in high school. You are going to rub people the wrong way, it's unavoidable. This does not mean be a gigantic, superior egotist; it means standing up for what you believe, even when it could mean social suicide in that moment.
Don't worry, despite all the negative comments that come with being told you peaked in high school, there are some positives. The best thing you can do is put your head down, grind, and prove that you're more than what you were.
