High school was a journey for me, some patches smooth, others were rough. I learned a lot from high school. My diploma makes it sound like most of it was from a textbook, but I'd say most of it was from personal experience and trial and error. There are a few things I learned throughout high school that as I sit looking back now, I believe could've done me some good if I had known them before high school.

1. You Won't Always Fit In, But It's Okay. High school students put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves to fit in.They'll try to fit in with whoever will accept them, whether they actually like the people or not, just to say that they fit in, and this is not a healthy behavior. To surround yourself with people who actually love you and care about you is the most fulfilling thing. Hanging around people who don't fit your personality type will only confuse you further about who you are and what you want out of life and probably will make your high school career less satisfying. Being by yourself is totally okay too. Learning to love yourself is a great way to gain self-confidence and learn to be happy from within, not from people.

2. Trust Yourself. If you find yourself in a situation where you're uncomfortable, always trust yourself. Never let someone else make your decisions for you because you ultimately know what is best for you. You are your own person and no one can take the right to make your decisions away from you, well except your parents, of course.

3. Take Your Grades Seriously. Your grades will seriously affect you if you plan on going to college or getting a decent job after high school. So ,when you think those boring freshman classes will never pay off, think again. Every action has a reaction and not paying attention in class might give you a bad GPA all throughout high school, which you will regret later on down the road when you have to account for it to colleges and employers.

4. Don't Take Things So Seriously. These years are just a foundation for the rest of your life. In a few years no one will care that someone wore the same shirt as you or someone stole someone else's boyfriend. What matters is enjoying life for right now and setting up a good foundation for your future. You're only in high school for four years, so make the best of it and enjoy it while you can.

5. Cherish Your Friends. The friends you make in high school will forever hold a place in your heart because you grew up right along side each other. You'll go through puberty, first boyfriends/ girlfriends, so many firsts you'll loose count. Cherish these people because they will help mold you into the person you will soon be becoming.

6. Dating Isn't Everything. Everyone wants the high school sweetheart romance, my heart melts too when I see the sappy Facebook posts about their love stories. Don't think just because it has happened for someone else it will immediately happen for you. Love doesn't work that way, and you'll be very lucky to find someone that you can even date steadily throughout high school. Dating and relationships do not define you as a person, and just because you are not in a relationship does not mean you have to go out pursuing one. If it does happen that you do find a high school sweetheart, I look forward to reading your love story on Facebook.

High school is an emotional journey forcing you to grow up and become something you never thought you would become. Take the experiences you gain from high school and apply them to your life, because every day is a new day to learn and grow as a person. Don't let high school make or break you though, because there are plenty of more days to come.