Growing up, we consistently received advice to take in the moments of high school because they would be the best years of our lives. We needed to make sure we took part in every club or activity to make something of ourselves. High school was apparently our golden years and it would be a disgrace for us to let it pass us by. As kids we looked forward to those four years imagining just how wonderful they'd truly be.
High school is not what you see in television or the movies. It is not consistently a joyous time with a few trials that can be fixed with a quick dance number and song. High school is hard. It is four years of trying to figure out who you are, where you best belong, what friends you can truly trust, just how much you can handle, and nothing but ups and downs.
There are people that will try to bring you down and halt your success. They will make you think the worst of yourself and aggravate you to the point where you are close to having a breakdown. The classes are never ending with homework, tests, and papers trying to get you ready for college. However, at the same time, you’re asked to get involved but also have a social life. You gain new responsibilities and will need to get a job to start paying for new expenses such as gas for your car. Oh, and you need to keep fantastic grades that will decide where you go to college and how much you’ll be paying.
High school is ugly. It is full of hormonal teenagers who are just trying to figure out who they are. Some take it out in anger and are terribly mean to classmates just to make themselves feel better. Others are silent and go through the four years making people believe they aren’t affected. Then there are those that take the changes in stride and make the best of their situation. There’s drama every day that fills the hallways and unnecessary rumors that can ruin people’s reputations. High school is ugly.
High school is not the best time of your life. College is. College is when you meet your true friends. By the time you get to college, you’re mature and know the type of person you are. You know what you like and don’t like and know where to invest yourself. College is hard. It is stressful and time-consuming and often you cry, just wanting your mom. But overall, you have the time of your life in college. You have a new found freedom and get to experience life on a whole new level.
Don’t get me wrong, high school isn’t all bad. There are good times with friends and moments that make you forget all the worries. Some days the drama ceases and there’s nothing but unity among the hallways. I can vouch for this, because there were some days my mindset of high school almost shifted because I had so much fun. I have a handful of people from high school I remain close with and share incredible memories with and whom I miss dearly every day. However, to those who are wondering if they are wasting "the best years of their lives," remember that high school isn't the best time of your life. It can be ugly and make you feel as if those four years will never end. But wait on it, because the best time of your life is just around the corner from your high school graduation.
